For Jackie Andrews ’22, Nursing and Learning are a Passion

Jacqueline Andrews ’22 has a passion for nursing and learning, so she is diving headlong into both, working on an inpatient oncology unit in Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) in Boston and pursuing her master’s degree in Colby-Sawyer’s Master of Science in Nursing program in clinical nurse leadership.

“I work primarily with patients who have lymphoma or myeloma,” Jackie, who lives in Windham, New Hampshire, said. “On a day-to-day basis. I can be seen helping people navigate a new cancer diagnosis, treating people suffering from complications related to cancer or the treatment and aiding a patient as they transition to end of life.”

Despite the intensity of the work, or perhaps because of it, Jackie said she loves her job and can’t imagine doing anything else.

“Caring for people when they are at their most vulnerable is no easy task, but it is beyond rewarding,” Jackie said. “Every day I get to learn new things, put my knowledge to use, and help people. At MGH, I get to be a part of some of the newest most innovative cancer treatments that are giving people around the world a second wave of hope.”

Jackie credits the undergraduate nursing program at Colby-Sawyer with preparing her well for the challenges she encounters every day on the job. She said she is “beyond grateful” for the education she received at Colby-Sawyer.

“I felt more than prepared to enter the profession after graduation,” Jackie said. “My clinical instructors were all wonderful and made sure I got the most out of my clinical experiences. Being able to perform all my clinical rotations at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Hospital allowed me to learn so much and set the standard for the type of care I would seek out post-graduation.”

Jackie is excited to have started the Master of Science in Nursing program this fall and is looking forward to working as a clinical nurse leader in the future. It’s a field that blends two arenas of Jackie’s undergraduate experience: her academic work in the nursing program and her leadership experience outside the classroom as a resident assistant, participant in the Emerging Leaders program and member of the Student Nurses Association.

“I hope to end up in a position,” Jackie said, “where I can really make a difference in nursing for both nurses and patients.”

The most recent outcomes report from the Harrington Center for Experiential Learning indicates that, like Jackie, 100% of the Class of 2022 is employed or in graduate school. Read more about Colby-Sawyer graduate outcomes.