Jasmin Salcedo is a nursing student who loves the fast-paced environment of the hospital and making a positive impact in patient’s lives. As a proud Latina, Jasmin encourages others to pursue their dreams of working in healthcare on her TikTok Account, @nurse.jazz.
Tell us a little bit about yourself.
Jasmin: I'm currently an RN student. I'm in an ADN to BSN program right now and will be graduating this June, 2021. I'm looking to find an RN job in the NICU, pediatrics, or labor and delivery. An RN position in the NICU would be my dream job. From the start, I always knew I had a passion for caring for babies. When I first went to the NICU, I absolutely fell in love. Being able to hold the babies, change their diapers, and feed them was one of my favorite experiences during my nursing rotation. Being able to care for little babies that are in such a vulnerable state showed me the importance of nurses and how much of an impact we truly make in these babies/ families lives.
What made you decide to become a nurse?
Jasmin: I've always been interested in science. In school, I thought I wanted to be a veterinarian or a Marine biologist. In high school, I tore my ACL playing soccer. As a result, I had two surgeries and I was in and out of the hospital a lot. After being in the hospital so much and seeing how much a difference the collaborative healthcare team made in my life, it sparked an interest in nursing. I chose nursing because I fell in love with the fast paced hospital environment and that it was a career that allowed me to think critically. With nursing, I liked that there are always new things to learn that it is a career that would challenge me. Most importantly, I chose nursing because of the increasing need for Latinos in healthcare and the need to advocate for patients of the BIPOC community. During my nursing prerequisites, I decided to volunteer at a hospital for two years. This experience allowed me to grow a deeper fascination for the field of nursing. Most importantly, it showed me the impact that nurses truly make in someone’s life.
Nursing school is rigorous. How do you de-stress?
Jasmin: I'm a huge believer in mental health. Nursing school is very rigorous, especially having to do it mostly online for COVID. This is why it’s so important to find time to take care for yourself. Nurses/nursing students do so much to take care of others, but sometimes forget to do the same for themselves. With that being said, I like to de-stress from nursing school by doing things like watching Netflix, baking, playing soccer, and hanging out with my family. I also really like running and walking my dog, named “Tango.” Throughout COVID I learned a lot about myself and the importance of caring for myself.
Do you have any advice for nursing students or people looking to get into nursing school?
Jasmin: For anyone wanting to go into nursing school, I would say to make sure that it really is something you want to do. Nursing is definitely a very challenging career so making sure it's a career that will make you happy is crucial. I would suggest getting some job/volunteer experience or doing an internship. I really enjoyed volunteering at a hospital when I was taking my nursing prerequisites. It allowed me to connect with patients, nurses, and members of the healthcare team.
For anyone who's in nursing school, my advice is take one step at a time. There is always something to do, but remembering to take breaks and having time for yourself and your social life is also important. We make a lot of jokes in nursing school, that you’ll never have time to have fun. But, it’s all about balance and finding that balance is key to succeeding in nursing school. When I started nursing school, it was definitely difficult. I was new to the world of medical terminology and it was hard to adapt. However, learning nursing material everyday, making new friends, and helping each other succeed, allowed me to grow with each semester and allowed me to gain more knowledge and confidence in myself. For anyone in nursing school who needs more help on confusing nursing material, there are a lot of YouTube videos about nursing topics, which helped me. As many nursing students know, there is a lot of nursing material to learn constantly. Therefore, studying a little bit everyday helps me reinforce and remember what I’m learning.
What channel would you recommend for other nursing students?
Jasmin: Sarah, RegisteredNurseRN, on YouTube for sure. I feel like most nursing students know about her but she is my favorite. On TikTok, I really like “nexus nursing” since she provides NCLEX questions to help teach nursing students about how to answer practice questions to prepare them for the NCLEX.
You offer some great insight and advice yourself on your TikTok. What is your favorite thing about making those videos?
Jasmin: I started making TikToks in October of last year during quarantine. I started making videos because I was bored and needed a way to de-stress from nursing school since I was stuck at home all day. I’ve continued to make videos everyday since not only is it fun, but it has allowed me to connect with nursing students and nurses around the world. Finding humor in the difficult parts of nursing school, is what I think brings us all together. This is my favorite part about making these videos. To think that I have inspired some people to go into nursing is crazy to me. If I can make at least one person’s smile or laugh from my videos, that’s my main goal.
Which video is your favorite?
Jasmin: I posted a video about the under-representation of nurses within healthcare. This is one of my favorite videos because I am proud to be Latina and entering the field of Nursing. Seeing so many other Latinos pursuing the healthcare field is amazing. I received so much support from this video and it made me proud to represent such a small percentage of Latinos within healthcare. My parents came to this country with nothing. If it weren’t for them, I wouldn’t be in the position that I am in today. I am extremely excited to represent my Latino ancestors and become the first person in my family to become an RN. For others to be inspired by my hard work makes me very happy. My message to anyone watching this video is to work hard and never give up on your dreams.
Representation is so important. Are there other areas of nursing activism that you get really passionate about?
Jasmin: One of the biggest issues during COVID was the patient to nurse ratio. Nurses were receiving 50% more patients than normal. This was unsafe and caused even higher nurse burnout. Moreover, nurses were unable to provide care to patient’s like the deserved, Luckily, COVID cases have gone down tremendously here in California.To add, an area of nursing activism that I am passionate about is advocating for health equity and against racial injustices within the healthcare system. It is important as a nursing profession, to recognize that health inequities exist and have contributed to poor health outcomes in specific populations. Therefore, I believe it is my responsibility to be the change and provide equal care to everyone and fight back against the oppression that exists.
How has COVID-19 impacted life as a nursing student?
Jasmin: I was lucky enough to start nursing school in the fall of 2019, right before COVID. Once COVID hit in March, we all had to switch to online learning. It was definitely difficult at first just because we had to adjust to new circumstances. We couldn't go to the hospitals anymore, which meant that we had to make up our hours otherwise. I personally volunteered at COVID testing sites and food shelters. However, there is this light at the end of the tunnel now being able to help out at COVID vaccination sites and seeing things slowly go back to normal. I am very grateful that I'm able to graduate on time and finally pursue my career as a real nurse.
Are you guys back to in-person classes now?
Jasmin: Not yet. I'm hoping soon. I finish my ADN this semester and continue my BSN in the fall. I'm hoping that we can go back to in-person, but we don't know yet.
What gives you moxie?
Jasmin: My parents give me moxie. My parents were born in Mexico and did not have much growing up. They came to the United States and worked extremely hard to create the life that I have today. Being able to make them, my grandparents, and my ancestors proud is what motivates me. It is an honor to be the first person in my entire family to go to nursing school and represent Latinos. Growing up in a Latino household, my parents would always tell me “si se puede” (yes you can). It is this motto that has given me the drive and tenacity that I have today.
Shop Jasmin's Look
Jasmin wears the Melanie Top and Justine Jogger in Navy Blue.
Follow Jasmin on Socials
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@nurse.jazz on Tik Tok
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@jasmin_lives_here on Instagram
