“My brother Derrick who is two years older than me was a Marine,” says Liz, who was born in Mexico and spent most of her youth in Texas. “I always told him that I would be his nurse one day to make sure he would always come home.” Although the Navy assigned her different duties, that didn’t slow her down. She reached the rank of chief petty officer and her time in the Navy taught her leadership, integrity and dedication to her profession.

She also quickly learned how critical teamwork is for success and has brought that perspective to her work at Sentara. “In the middle of the ocean, there is no help; you and every person on that ship are it,” Liz explains. “I bring that same mentality to my unit and my co-workers. We all work together for the common good. No one job is more or less important and everyone is vital.”

Now, Liz is a charge and bedside nurse in the med-surg/telemetry unit at SLH and aims to lead by example. She has volunteered to chair the unit safety and engagement committee, which boosts morale through fun events that celebrate professional and personal milestones. She also works hard to develop a good rapport with her patients.

“Knowing my patients and their families helps me deliver a better experience and ensure their needs are met,” she adds. “For example, if a patient is not taking medicine, I try to identify the ‘why.’ A patient may refuse due to how it is given, or maybe they did not fully understand the importance of the medication.”

Liz continues to advance her career by working on her BSN using Sentara’s tuition assistance program. She lives in Norfolk with her husband, Chris, and they have a son, Alex, and a daughter, Jary.