Nursing student Jordan Jackson has a great role model for her career. Her grandmother, Ernestine Jackson, has worked as a nurse at Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital for 45 years.
“Her care and her drive and her ambition to wake up every day and go to work and still be working here at Phoebe is one of the reasons why I wanted to become a nurse and also work here at Phoebe,” Jordan said.
Ernestine Jackson says she knows her granddaughter is well on her way to becoming an outstanding nurse.
“It’s a great career, and she’s naturally a caregiver,” the elder Jackson said. “She’s compassionate, and she cares about people.”
After earning her certified nurse assistant (CNA) certification and working as a CNA at Phoebe for three years, Jordan Jackson applied to nursing school at Albany Technical College and is currently enrolled in ATC’s practical nursing program.
“I feel like the classes and the teachers at Albany Tech are preparing me not only to be successful in the classroom but in the real world as a nurse,” Jordan said. “They’re teaching me bedside manner and the knowledge I need to care for patients properly.”
Jordan is a good student. She participated in the Skills USA competition and won state and national titles.
“It’s a competition with technical colleges and high schools showcasing technical skills in each student’s program of study, and I did nurse assisting,” she said. “Albany Tech helped me perfect my skills, but I was shocked when I won first place.”
Credit: Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital
Credit: Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital
While taking nursing classes, Jordan is getting more real-world experience by working as a nurse extern at Phoebe.
“The nurse extern program is beneficial for nursing students because it gives us a more hands-on interaction with patients outside of school and what we read in textbooks,” she said.
And she is far from finished with her education and training.
“I definitely want to further my education and go ahead and get my RN at Albany Tech because it’s already made a foundation for me,” she said.
After that, she said she plans to earn a bachelor’s degree in nursing, then pursue a master’s degree.
“I really want to be either a family nurse practitioner or a midwife, so I want to climb up the ladder and get more experience.”
The budding nurse encourages other compassionate people looking for a career to consider applying to nursing school at ATC.
“They’ll love it and enjoy it, and it will take them a step in the right direction to not only becoming a great nurse but a great person,” she said.
Meanwhile, her grandmother said she is grateful her granddaughter has been able to get an excellent education and outstanding work experience in Albany, and she’s excited that Jordan is part of the work family she’s been committed to since the late 1970s.
“It makes me feel proud. Phoebe has been a wonderful place to work, and it makes me feel proud that she wants to be part of this organization,” Jackson said.
And Jordan is proud to be following in her grandmother’s footsteps.
“I just admire her work ethic,” Jordan said. “Even though she’s in her 60s, she still comes to work every day and loves her job. You have to force her to take a day off.”
So, will Jordan Jackson have a nursing career as long and rewarding as her grandmother’s?
“I hope so,” she said with a laugh.
“I’m hoping she will,” her grandmother added. “I know she’ll find her place.”
Credit: Albany Herald
Credit: Albany Herald
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