Liz has been a strong support system for me and my peer since starting our roles as Tissue Viability Nurses. When we joined the Corporate Team, it was overwhelming for us. We were surprised when we received an invitation to ‘meet with the Chief nurse.’ We felt very anxious as it was the first time we had met someone that high up for both of us. It felt like being called to the head teacher's office. During the meeting, Liz was very welcoming. She made us feel relaxed. On enquiring about how we were, we were able to voice out how we were actually feeling about starting this new role. Liz encouraged us and gave us good advice from her own personal experiences. Every time we bump into her in the corridor, she takes the time to stop and ask if we are getting on ok. This is very reassuring.
Liz carries a smile that brightens your day.

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My nomination for this award is based on the qualities this Leader/person has. She has the ability to command a room, speaking clearly in a tone that draws your attention to what she is saying. She is an inspirational leader who is calm in her presence and cheerful in her demeanour. She is a role model who has offered stability not only to the nursing and midwifery workforce, but to the organisation. She works tirelessly across boundaries to raise the profile of our organisation. A leader who goes above and beyond for her team, supporting and ensuring that our wellbeing is at the heart of the Trust.

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It is our pleasure to nominate Liz Lees for the DAISY Nurse Leader Award for her outstanding work as Chief Nurse. Liz has been invaluable to our Chaplaincy Team, especially through her constant support during Covid 19. Liz consistently showed her compassion and care for our team’s wellbeing by always being available and approachable when needed. Through her encouragement and support the chaplaincy department has been able to promote the values of chaplaincy further. Liz has been instrumental in helping our team achieve a number of impressive milestones.

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Since joining Bedford in 2021, Liz has been the most supportive Chief Nurse I could have asked for.  At the time, maternity services had just been rated inadequate, there was a vacancy of nearly 40%, and we were far from the quality assurance standards that maternity services are under heavy scrutiny for.

It would not be unusual at the beginning of my time in post to be in the unit, providing clinical care myself on Delivery Suite, Triage, the ward, or even in attendance at a homebirth, in best efforts to keep the service safe.  Liz’s support throughout has always been unwavering, and for that, I have been incredibly grateful.  It was usual for Liz to check in and make sure the team and I were okay, appreciating the struggle we all had at points.  The last five years of my career has given me a great deal of exposure working with Chief Nurses, and I have learned to appreciate first-hand the vast challenge such a role brings.

Making your team (across so many levels and disciplines) feel so connected and valued is no easy feat, when so many demands and priorities are placed on you.  Liz has been an incredible role model as a nursing leader, and for that reason, she very much deserves this prestigious accolade.

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When I read the criteria for the DAISY Nurse Leader award: Providing a haven of safety for staff, both physically and emotionally, Ensuring standards of quality care are maintained, Driving team development and resilience, ensuring that team members are meaningfully recognised for the work they do for patients and families, problem-solving and encouraging critical thinking….. I reflected on the impact Liz has had on me as an Accreditation Lead, how she has allowed me to grow as a leader and a personal experience I encountered with her. Presently, if I am attending a meeting with Liz, I now know to prepare beforehand as I am more likely to be asked, ‘What is your plan A?’ before I am steered in the right direction. 

I would like to nominate Liz for the exemplary leadership she has shown me. Over the last 3 years that I have worked as a Lead nurse in Accreditation, Liz has been very supportive, gives me an opportunity to express myself, takes time to listen, and always returns to an inclusive decision. I see Liz working tirelessly (Accreditation and standards and ‘setting the bar up’ – there is no playing there). Liz has a clear insight and guiding vision, which has garnered my respect and admiration. I have felt welcomed, involved, supported, self-assured, and more so respected since joining the Corporate Team. 

My first encounter with Liz, 1:1 was when I was a ward manager in Ambulatory Care. Like every other manager, when the Chief Nurse visits your ward or clinical area the question is ‘what have we done?’. I got up from the nurses’ station to take Liz on a little tour around the unit. Her first question was, ‘How are you, A?’ I answered, but at that point, I was still wondering what we had done that had warranted this visit from the Chief Nurse. The conversation carried on casually, like this was a checking in visit. I was still wondering. And it was a supportive visit. As I was about to go off on maternity leave Liz’s final question to me was ‘what's your future plan then A? What's next for Ambulatory care?’. Little did I know that I would one day work quite closely with the Chief nurse, and have even more regular meetings. Now the question I’m waiting for is ‘What’s next for Accreditation?’

It was unfortunate that whilst I was on maternity leave (2020), my then 6 week old (now 4yo) baby felt really sick that he needed to be intubated and admitted to Intensive care. My son had just been intubated and me and my husband were now sitting in the theatres family room awaiting to be transferred to St Mary’s Hospital ITU, hoping for the best and knowing that his life was out of our hands. We were totally exhausted, 3 days of no sleep, hopeful but hopeless, upset, looking unkempt…. the list is endless. Then I had a visitor – it was my Chief Nurse, Liz. I pretty much felt like getting up to stand to attention for my Commander-in-Chief but I was too exhausted. Liz had come to check on me and my family. This was the most touching gesture. That the Chief nurse left her office, her busy life, meetings and everything else to come up and say to me ‘Its going to be ok, and How are you?’. I was lost for words. This considerate nature made me see a natural leader in Liz. A leader who is loyal to her staff, dedicated, caring, and empathetic. I cannot express what this visit meant to me; it really was a personal touch. When Liz left my husband said to me ‘who are you in this hospital that you get the Chief nurse over to check on you?’ I was ‘only’ a band 7 in Ambulatory care – nothing special.

Liz leads by example. You don’t only see Liz going around the wards giving support to teams: walk around the wards and you will find Bill (Deputy CNO) and our Deputy Directors of Nursing, Ann and Aoife, checking on staff wellbeing. It is evident that Liz’s team is on a journey with her, so we all benefit.

Big thank you, Liz, and you truly deserve this DAISY Nurse Leader Award. 

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I want to start by saying that Liz is one of the most compassionate and insightful Nurse Leaders I have ever met. She is also the type of leader who inspires me to be a better Lead Nurse. 
 
Liz always providing assistance, guidance, and support to her staff. She is very approachable and willing to step out on the floor and help at the bedside. She advocates for our patients as well as our staff making it very clear how much she values her job as a Chief Nurse.
 
There is something to be said about a person who you can tell loves their job and their staff just by the way they behave in their leadership roles. Liz expects excellent care and accountability from everyone, including herself. One of the key roles of a Nurse Leader is to help their staff grow into better nurses. I can say with absolute certainty that I have grown as a nurse, leader, and person under Liz’s leadership.

One of my fondest memories is probably more than a year ago, when I first started my role as a lead nurse for assessment and accreditation. As we were walking down the corridor, Liz asked me about my career progression, my professional development and how long I have been in the country and how I am settling into my new role. As you move into the next step as a leader and the Chief Nurse is interested in how you have grown as a Nurse is one of the most important reasons why I cherish Liz’s influence in my daily leadership and why I strive to achieve my aspirations and be the best Nurse I can. 
 
Liz is the one to congratulate all the staff when they receive their accreditation results and to individually thank each member of staff for their hard work in achieving the highest standards of care. Liz has always been a phenomenal leader, and she has really shown a light in making sure our staff are supported and able to continue to discover, learn, and improve.

 It has been a true privilege to work under Liz’s leadership, and she is most deserving of the DAISY Nurse Leader Award.