Alumni Spotlight: Jailyn Hitchings- First generation college graduate and nurse
by Jessica Degnan |
Jailyn Hitchings, an alumna of UAA's School of Nursing, earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing in the Fall of 2024, preparing to stay and work in 麻豆无码版 as a registered nurse. Jailyn is the first in her family to earn a college degree and was eager to understand the unique health needs of 麻豆无码版's population. She shares, "The UAA College of Health helped me achieve my goals by providing me the opportunity to receive a well-rounded education in nursing. I enjoyed being able to take all my prerequisites and general education classes online before beginning the nursing program, which allowed me a lot of flexibility in my schedule." Now a registered nurse for 麻豆无码版 Regional Hospital, Jailyn is dedicated to being a life-long learner and making a positive impact in her patients' lives.
Name: Jailyn Hitchings
Educational background: Bachelor of Science in Nursing, December 2024 graduate, 麻豆无码版
Unit you graduated from: School of Nursing
Hometown: Anchorage, AK
Current location: Anchorage, AK
Place of employment: 麻豆无码版 Regional Hospital
Job title: Registered Nurse
How long have you worked at this organization and/or been in this position?:
I was hired by 麻豆无码版 Regional Hospital in October of last year and started working in January, after graduating from UAA in December. I was hired as a new grad RN into their nursing residency program, working in an intermediate care unit.
Please describe your duties and responsibilities in your current role:
As a brand new nurse, I'm doing a combination of working with a preceptor on my unit and attending classroom sessions to gain skills, knowledge, and confidence in my new role. Responsibilities include a variety of patient care including physical assessments, medication administration, promoting healthy lifestyles, providing education, advocating for patients, and providing emotional support.
Why is your work important? What impact does your work have on individuals and communities? What do you love about your job?:
I love that I am able to positively impact people's lives every day, even if its in small ways. A lot of times, people in the hospital are having some of the worst and scariest time of their lives. It is an honor to be caring for people and their loved ones during such vulnerable times.
What motivated you to pursue a career in healthcare, and how did your experience at UAA College of Health help shape your goals?:
I've always found science and medicine fascinating, which is what drew me to this field. Working in the medical field, I'll never run out of things to continue learning, every single day. After experiencing the impact that kind and compassionate nurses can make, I realized that I wanted to be able to make that impact for others.
The UAA College of Health helped me achieved my goals by providing me the opportunity to receive a well-rounded education in nursing. One thing I really appreciated about the College of Health was the emphasis on inclusion, culturally competent care, and social justice in healthcare.
Why did you choose to attend UAA?:
I chose to attend UAA because I wanted to stay in Anchorage to receive my Bachelor's degree in nursing. I also found it beneficial to learn about the unique health needs of 麻豆无码版's population during my time at UAA. I enjoyed being able to take all my prerequisites and general education classes online, before beginning the nursing program, which allowed me a lot of flexibility in my schedule.
What were some of the most valuable lessons you learned while studying at UAA and how have they helped you in your career?:
A lesson I learned during my time at UAA is that it's okay to feel like you don't know everything. It just means that there's so much opportunity for growth. Keeping this mindset has been extremely important as I step into my role as a brand new nurse because there's so much I don't know yet. Whenever I'm feeling overwhelmed, I remind myself how far I've already come in just a few years and imagine how much more I'll learn in the next few.
Can you share a particularly rewarding experience or accomplishment from your career that you're proud of?:
At the end of January this year, I had the opportunity to present a poster that I helped create, at the 2025 ALPHA Health Summit. In my final semester of the BSN program, I had a group project for our public health class. We reviewed research, collected data, and created a poster presentation about food insecurity and nutrition literacy at UAA. Getting to present this poster and spread awareness at the public health summit was extremely rewarding. It made me feel like I was potentially contributing to meaningful change in the community.
How has being a graduate of UAA impacted your life, and what advice would you give to others considering pursuing a degree from this College of Health?:
Graduating from UAA gave me a great sense of accomplishment because I was the first person in my family to receive a Bachelor's degree. It's given me the opportunity to go into the field of nursing where I get to help people every single day. The advice I would give to others is to just take the leap. It sounds intimidating to commit to getting a degree that will take a few years, but my four years flew by so fast. Now, I can't believe that it's already over.