When Jacqueline Martinez, 25BSN, RN, came to Emory, she knew she wanted to work with children and families at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta (CHOA).

Lucky for her, CHOA’s Egleston campus, which recently moved a few miles down the road as the new Arthur M. Blank Hospital, was right next to Emory’s Atlanta campus. After meeting with Jeannie Weston, CHOA faculty advisor and assistant professor in the School of Nursing, Martinez got the news that she was accepted as an extern with CHOA’s pediatric elective program. For two months during the summer, she worked on a neurology, endocrine, and respiratory floor.

“CHOA’s value and mission aligned with the kind of nurse I aspire to be,” Martinez says. “I always hoped to be a part of that environment, especially given my passion for working with children and their families.”

As a patient care technician, she put her classroom knowledge to work. During the first half of her internship, she recorded vital signs, monitored intakes and outputs, tested glucose levels, and supported daily patient care by giving baths, changing linens, and feeding patients. During the second half of her internship, she served as a practicum student, learning how to manage patient assignments. She also received a PEARS (Pediatric Emergency Assessment, Recognition, and Stabilization) certification, completed Marcus Crisis Prevention Program training, and presented a case study.

During her internship, Martinez was able to relay questions and concerns from Spanish-speaking families to their care teams. The experience motivated her to pursue her medical interpreting license, allowing Martinez to better support Spanish-speaking patients.

While she gained invaluable hands-on experience on the hospital floor, Martinez says her learning extended beyond nursing skills.

“I learned lessons about resilience and perseverance,” says Martinez. “As a first-generation college student, I sometimes grapple with imposter syndrome, feeling inadequate and out of place, which is overwhelming at times. As I progressed through my externship, I grew more confident in my clinical abilities and learned the importance of mentorship — my preceptors were incredibly encouraging and patient, allowing me the time to grasp complex concepts and pushing me to seek help when I needed it.”