National Nurses Week: Grant Freiberg and Jackie Hanson, RNs, BSNs

In honor of National Nurses Week (May 6-12), join us in celebrating the many wonderful and invaluable nurses who work with and impact our programs!

Rounds At the Grounds 2013-0326Meet Grant and Jackie

Former Preconception Peer Educators, these two Chamberlain College of Nursing graduates share how volunteering to improve preconception health while in school made a difference in their nursing career.

“When I started nursing school I had a fairly clear understanding of of my future and how I would interact with patients from various backgrounds and ethnicities. Although there are many challenges involved with caring for many different people from different walks of life, it is truly something that I love to do. The ability to change a life through education and compassion is what drives me to try my hardest every single day.

When I look back over my time in nursing school I can honestly say that one of the best experiences I had was having the opportunity to serve and work on various projects with the Northeast Florida Healthy Start Coalition. While a lot of knowledge was gained during clinical rotations and late hours of studying, most of my learning came from hands-on community involvement. Volunteering for the Coalition provided me the opportunity to work and develop programs that allowed me to further understand a different population than what I would typically see during school hours. Because of this opportunity, I have become more well-rounded as a professional and a person.

The tools that I learned and developed during my time as a PPE  are carried over into my nursing experience on a daily basis. I am more aware of the needs of my patients, whether it be providing a calming voice or the instituting proper follow-up care, solely by listening and learning from them. My goals are to provide information through education. I am truly grateful for my time with the Coalition as they helped me develop the skills required for my life as a professional.”

  • Name: Jackie Hanson
  • Title: Registered Nurse
  • Organization: Baptist Health

“I love being a nurse. Though most of the time stressful, it is a gratifying career.  I never truly realized how I touched peoples lives until I had a patient who sent me a wedding gift; a repeat patient who remembered I was getting married; the patients, though not mine on that current admission, say, “Hey there’s Jackie, she took care of me last time;” and those patients who ask to have me.  This is how I know I’m doing what I was meant to do.  I’m not only taking care of their body, I take care of their spirit as well.

The PPE program allowed me to educate college aged adults in my community the importance of preconception health and infant mortality while also being educated on the subject.  Also, being apart of Jacksonville Infant Mortality Alliance gave me the much needed confidence to speak in public. Not only did I talk to college students but I had the opportunity to interact with the community as well and spread the message of preconception health. The time I spent as a PPE/JIMA member has made me an overall better nurse. “