Madison Jackson jokes she grew up and was raised in hospitals.
“My family has had a lot of medical issues, so I’ve spent a lot of time there and I saw what the nurses did for my family, so I wanted to be able to do the same thing,” Jackson said.
That spark led her to earn her license as a certified nursing assistant (CNA) and apply for a job as soon as she turned 16. Her first few years were spent at a nursing home in her hometown. When she moved to Lincoln for college, she explored her options and ultimately chose to continue her career at Madonna Rehabilitation Hospitals, pursuing rehabilitation nursing.
“I think rehab nursing will let me see a different side of things and watch people continue to grow and get better and walk out of here, which is really fascinating to me,” she said.
Jackson started in Madonna’s summer CNA program. The program provides an opportunity for students majoring in nursing or other healthcare fields to work during their summer break and get hands on experience with patients. Once the summer is over and they are ready to return to school, they are able to stay on and continue working as their schedule allows.
“We found Madison to be a great fit during the summer,” Jennifer Howard, RN, CRRN, Madonna’s Director of Nurse Staffing and Development, said. “She exemplified our core values and was an asset to the team she was working with.”
Madonna worked with Jackson to determine a work schedule that best met her needs, allowing her to balance her schooling and career responsibilities.
“The biggest thing was how flexible they were with my schedule,” Jackson said. “I was a busy college student, so I got to work when I wanted and with people that were great. That worked really well. They also offered a lot of benefits that a lot of places didn’t, and I think that the teamwork and just the way that Madonna works is phenomenal, so it worked the best for what I wanted in my life.”
Madonna offers tuition assistance for employees who are enrolled in a nursing program, as well as various scholarship opportunities. Madonna partners with local colleges of nursing to provide yearly scholarships for assistance with tuition and fees. In return, the student commits to working at Madonna once they have completed their degree. Jackson said the process to apply was simple and easy.
“When you come in, they actually tell you about all the scholarships they have and exactly who to contact,” Jackson said. “I talked to Jennifer Howard and she set me up with everything. It was an interview and then I was signing a contract and that was it.”
Howard says there are several scholarship opportunities available for individuals seeking higher education that often go unused. If you are looking to go back to school or are currently in school, her advice is to seek out resources to assist you in finding those opportunities. When reviewing scholarship candidates, she says she looks for individuals who will exemplify Madonna’s culture and live our core values.
“Madonna is a unique and inspiring place to work, and it is reflected in our staff who have a desire to make a difference in our patients’ lives every day,” Howard said.
Now that she’s graduated with her BSN, Jackson is excited to see patient care from a new perspective.
“Being an aide and being a nurse are two very different things, so I’m excited to continue to grow my learning,” she said. “I think the biggest difference will be giving medications. It’s something that I’m looking forward to, but I still am excited to be there for basic patient care.”
Jackson says there are several reasons she’s chosen to start her career with Madonna, but core values like collaboration, hospitality and respect play a key role in her decision.
“I think what makes Madonna different is how supportive everyone is and how kind and everyone’s there cheering you on and it’s just phenomenal teamwork all the time,” Jackson said.
For more information on Madonna’s open nursing positions, benefits, scholarships and tuition reimbursement, please visit www.madonna.org/nursing. At Madonna, we help people re-claim their lives—there is no greater calling.