Julie Harper shared this story about Nadine Jacobson in UCF Today. At age 62, Nadine Jacobson ’23MSN, who is legally blind, has overcome many challenges in life but has persevered in her commitment to lifelong learning.
With a passion for caring for others, she pursued a career
in nursing. After earning her bachelor’s degree in nursing, she initially
worked at the bedside before joining the U.S. Air Force where she had the rank
of captain, worked as a labor and delivery nurse, attended nursing flight
school, and served during the Persian Gulf War.
“My plan was to go to medical school to become an
obstetrician or midwife and deliver babies,” she says. She even had completed
all of her pre-med requirements while being a single parent and serving in
active duty.
That journey, however, was cut short after a procedure to
remove thyroid cancer triggered a reaction in her eyes — causing her vision to
slowly deteriorate.
Despite the challenges of her disability and in life, she
continued to care for others as now a mother to five children and she continued
to pursue an education, earning a bachelor’s degree in psychology, master’s
degree in nursing health policy and a law degree.
After practicing law for several years (she had to close the
practice to focus on her family), she returned to school and enrolled in
the healthcare
simulation program at UCF — one of only a few nationwide.
During the program, she needed to complete clinical rotation
and worked alongside renowned simulation expert and nurse practitioner Desiree Díaz in a
Central Florida clinic.
“I really enjoyed it, as I really miss being able to be a
nurse,” Jacobson says. “I still have a lot of nursing knowledge, and it was
great to tap into that and belong in that group again.”
She also spent three days in UCF’s internationally
accredited STIM Center.
“They were really excellent at providing accommodations for
me,” she says. Those accommodations included hooking up Jacobson’s 27-inch
iMac, her “window to the world.”
Read more about Nadine Jacobson at:
Cheers!
Donna