National Hospital Week 2025: You Matter. You Make a Difference.

Meet Liz Stafford, Registered Nurse at Cox North Adult Psychiatry:  

"I have always been passionate about mental health. After earning my psychology degree, I started my career as a caseworker immediately after college. Though I valued the time spent with clients, achieving a healthy work-life balance became challenging with a growing family. I chose to take a break to care for my youngest son.

"Upon returning as a preschool teacher’s assistant, I felt incomplete. This prompted me to consider a nursing career — a path I had intermittently contemplated over the years. As a nurse, I continue to pursue my mission of helping individuals feel valued and understood. From the beginning, my interest in mental health nursing has felt natural.

"I hope to reduce mental health stigma and foster education that helps communities view mental health as valid and treatable, rather than as a personal defect. Ultimately, I want to continue educating and advocating for mental health to be treated with the same urgency and compassion as physical health — especially in a leadership role as I continue my education."