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Jackeline Florian

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Bio

Hello, my name is Jackie Florian, and I was a Junior majoring in Human Nutrition at U of I with a Pre-Nursing track. However, I will be transferring to the University of Illinois at Chicago to begin the nursing program at the Urbana-Champaign campus this upcoming Fall 2023! I was born and raised in Chicago, and I come from a Guatemalan and Honduran background. I am also the Fundraising Coordinator for an RSO at U of I called Global Medical Training (GMT). At GMT, we go on yearly winter and spring trips to work aside healthcare workers and provide free medical and dental services for Latin countries. As a Latina interested in Nursing, I want to be part of the BIPOC Nursing community that will have a great impact on Latinos and other minority groups living in the U.S. I believe that representation matters, especially since there are many minorities that face health inequities.

Education

University of Illinois at Chicago

Bachelor's degree program
2023 - 2025
  • Majors:
    • Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Bachelor's degree program
2020 - 2024
  • Majors:
    • Foods, Nutrition, and Related Services

Miscellaneous

  • Desired degree level:

    Master's degree program

  • Graduate schools of interest:

  • Transfer schools of interest:

  • Majors of interest:

  • Not planning to go to medical school
  • Career

    • Dream career field:

      Hospital & Health Care

    • Dream career goals:

    • Certified Nurse Assistant

      Central Nursing Home
      2023 – Present1 year
    • Personal Care Assistant

      New York Health Care: Home Care Services
      2023 – Present1 year

    Sports

    Rugby

    Junior Varsity
    2020 – 2020

    Public services

    • Volunteering

      Bleeding Disorders Alliance of Illinois — Volunteer
      2017 – 2020
    • Volunteering

      Cunningham Children's Home — Volunteer
      2022 – 2023

    Future Interests

    Volunteering

    Philanthropy

    Cindy J. Visser Memorial Nursing Scholarship
    Who knew that a four-word phrase would inspire me to become a nurse? During my sophomore year of college, I became involved in a student organization on campus named Global Medical Training (GMT), where students are able to attend yearly winter and spring trips to work aside healthcare workers and provide free medical and dental services for Latin countries in need. During the spring trip to Peru, I had the opportunity to interact with different patients by asking questions and obtaining vital signs to obtain the information needed to make a diagnosis and provide treatment. While interacting with these patients, many became emotional and showed their appreciation because they were finally able to receive the medicine they needed and have someone there as a support system. One moment that stood out to me was hearing an elderly man say “Que Dios Los Bendiga” while we were setting up the pharmacy station, which translates to “May God Bless Them." Hearing that opened my eyes to how impactful this trip was for this community with limited healthcare access. Being there to help alleviate pain, promote health, and provide emotional support may not seem as much, but it makes a big difference. Being able to be there for this community by simply asking, “What do you need help with?" and seeing the positive impact is very rewarding, and I knew that I wanted to have the opportunity to continue doing that, especially for those in underserved communities. My experience with GMT gave me the desire to serve underserved communities and dedicate my time to patient care and community collaboration, similar to how Cindy J. Visser devoted her time as a nurse to support members of her community. Nurses are the backbone of healthcare because they are the first healthcare workers that patients see and interact with the most, and they commit the smallest and biggest acts that will make a difference. As an inspiring Latina nurse, I want to be able to make those same impacts, especially in underserved communities. Unfortunately, there are health disparities in healthcare, so it is important to me to advocate for all my patients throughout my nursing career to ensure that their needs are taken seriously and met. Throughout my career, I want to be able to serve my community by showing empathy, compassion, and intentionality to all patients, regardless of their background and status, just like Cindy J. Visser. One way I plan to accomplish this is by using my Spanish-speaking skills to interact with my Latino patients who primarily speak Spanish to remove any language barrier they may face. I have seen how intimidating it can be for non-English speakers to share with others. This can lead to fear, so important information may be missed or not mentioned when interacting with patients, leading to misdiagnosing and mistreating the patient. Providing that intentionality to remove that language barrier will ensure that the health care team and I obtain all necessary details to ensure the health team gives proper treatment. I plan to incorporate my background as well to provide comfort for people of color and guarantee the same quality of care by listening to all my patients and continuing to learn about different cultures and skills to improve my ability as a nurse to give the best-personalized care.