---
title: "Living Your Why: Lessons From Our Jen Hamilton x AZCN Event"
url: "https://arizonacollege.edu/blog/jen-hamilton-azcn-event/"
type: post
date_published: 2026-06-01
date_modified: 2026-06-01
schema:
  @type: Article
language: en-US
word_count: 2060
reading_time: 11 min
canonical: "https://arizonacollege.edu/blog/jen-hamilton-azcn-event/"
featured_image: "https://arizonacollege.edu/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Jen-Hamilton-Collaboration-with-Arizona-College-of-Nursing.webp"
categories:
  - Nursing Careers
  - Nursing School
topic:
  - Career Information
  - Nursing
  - Patient Care
---

# Living Your Why: Lessons From Our Jen Hamilton x AZCN Event

![Jen Hamilton Collaboration with Arizona College of Nursing](https://arizonacollege.edu/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Jen-Hamilton-Collaboration-with-Arizona-College-of-Nursing.webp)

On May 21, 2026, Arizona College of Nursing (AZCN) had the amazing opportunity
to host our first-ever, cross-campus livestream event featuring
[Jen Hamilton](https://www.jenhamilton.co/), a Labor and Delivery Nurse, content
creator, and #1 New York Times Best Selling Author. With over 100 questions
submitted across our 24 campuses, the conversation was honest and inspiring.

Whether you are in your first semester or about to cross the finish line, Jen’s
message was a reminder that you are not only surviving nursing school but
[preparing for a fulfilling career](https://arizonacollege.edu/student-services/career-services/)
.

## Finding Your “Why”

Jen’s journey into nursing school began when she was just 5 years old where she
would watch her mother study anatomy books at the kitchen table with the dream
of becoming a nurse. At such a young age, Jen didn’t see “complex
pathophysiology,” but merely her mom making people feel better when they were
sick.

“My mom wanted to be a nurse, so she enrolled in the local community college,
and I got to watch her study,” Jen explained. “I always say how much I learned
at 5 years old, looking through anatomy books. When I would ask her what a nurse
is, she would tell me that she was going to do for other people what she does
for me whenever I’m sick.”

![Jen Hamilton at Arizona College of Nursing](https://arizonacollege.edu/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Jen-Hamilton-at-Arizona-College-of-Nursing.webp?w=1024)

Across AZCN campuses, it is important to highlight that many of our students can
relate to Jen’s mom’s journey through nursing school as 50% of our students are
also parents. Having watched her mom transition careers and become a nurse, Jen
remembered how hard it was for her to balance her studies with her family.
Still, her mom incorporated her in as much as possible and because of this,
offered an encouraging perspective.

“You can have dreams as an adult, after you may have already had a career doing
something else,” she said. “[I]t’s never too late to chase your dreams. Also,
when you have these little babies watching you, it helps them to be able to
reach their own goals and their dreams for themselves.”

That idea that you can see yourself in someone else’s journey and be inspired by
it was felt across the room during the event. One student, who has been
following Jen since her early days of “swaddling chickens and cats,” described
the event as a “much needed breath of fresh air.”

“I’ve been worried, and like, can I do it?” Crystal Munson, a semester 4 student
at
[Arizona College of Nursing’s Phoenix campus](https://arizonacollege.edu/blog/location/phoenix-nursing-school/)
, shared, specifically noting that the intensity of her pathophysiology class
has been a source of self-doubt. “I think this is what I needed…[Jen] was why
I had faith in myself, or had the motivation for myself to even apply, so I am
really grateful.”

That feeling was echoed by many other students who described having experienced
everything from “heart palpitations” to genuine excitement to see Jen speak
right in front of them. The event served as a great reminder for students that
while the
[coursework](https://arizonacollege.edu/accredited-bsn-program/bsn-program-course-descriptions/)
can be challenging, you are part of a community that understands what it is like
to go through nursing school and is full of individuals who are there to support
you.

When asked about her own path, which has moved from the ER to Labor and
Delivery, she reminded students that it is totally okay if your career path
isn’t a straight line. Sometimes, you find your calling by trying different
things and simply being open to where your work takes you.

For another student, Jen’s advice has already inspired her to think outside of
the box when it comes to her future career path.

“Initially I didn’t want to do OB, but just seeing her compassion, empathy, and
just the way she talks and cares for her patients inspired me a lot.” explained
Anahid Mensah, a semester 8 student at
[Arizona College of Nursing’s Tempe campus](https://arizonacollege.edu/tempe-nursing-school/)
.

## The Reality of Nursing School

We know that the parts of nursing school that include research papers, early
morning exams, and the
[quick pace of the program](https://arizonacollege.edu/accredited-bsn-program/)
can feel overwhelming. But Jen’s advice for making it through is to lean on your
cohort.

“I feel like there is this level of camaraderie that you don’t get in any other
place where there is this level of trauma bonding, right? You get with these
people who have the same struggles, the same goals, and then when you are low,
your friend is able to kind of pick you up and then when they are low, you can
do the same thing,” Jen said.

Her mantra for even the hardest days is: Take it one day at a time.

![AZCN students asking Jen Hamilton questions](https://arizonacollege.edu/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/AZCN-students-asking-Jen-Hamilton-questions.webp?w=1024)

“I think it’s about taking each day one day at a time and not getting
overwhelmed by the week, the next month…[just] take it one day at a time.”

## Advocacy and Growing Your Confidence

For students who may be struggling with the imposter syndrome that often comes
with
[clinicals](https://arizonacollege.edu/accredited-bsn-program/skills-and-science-lab/)
or being a new nursing graduate, Jen urged students to drop the need for
perfection.

“I think one of the worst things you could do is expect perfection of yourself
right away. Confidence doesn’t come right away. It comes when you prove to
yourself that you can do it.”

She emphasized that advocacy is a skill that you must practice in order to get
better at it. She even shared a story from her early days in the ER where she
had to confront a senior nurse who was undermining her work by questioning her
charting instead of trying to help her with the patient load.

“I [was] like, ‘do you see these 2 letters? These are the same letters behind
your last name, and I would really appreciate it if we could work
together…[T]his would go much better if you would work with me.’”

Her message was, if something feels weird, it probably is.

“When that moment comes, don’t hesitate to speak. The hardest part is just that
first word where you are choosing to speak. The words will come, they might come
out shaky, but if you allow yourself to push down that feeling, you are only
going to do yourself a disservice later.”

## Protecting Your Autonomy

According to a number of our students, one of the most impactful portions of the
discussion with Jen was on the “promises” she makes to all her patients. These
promises include:

I promise to be your advocate

I promise to listen and believe you

I promise to prioritize your safety and security

I promise to explain things so you can make decisions you feel good about

I promise to protect your bodily and decision-making autonomy

I promise to never keep secrets from you

Jen started developing these promises to her patients early in her career, and
they have evolved with her and her experiences. Her promises were created to
support her belief that patient and provider trust must be earned and not
assumed. As a nurse, her role is more than just treating patients to make them
feel better. She is also an advocate for every patient and there to provide them
with all the evidence-backed options available to help them make the best
decision for themselves and their care.

![AZCN Nursing Student listening to Jen Hamilton](https://arizonacollege.edu/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/AZCN-Nursing-Student-listening-to-Jen-Hamilton.webp?w=1024)

“I personally think that the things she says to her patients and how she is
going to advocate for them in different ways is super important because a lot of
patients don’t have people advocating for them,” Kinsey Richmond, a semester 7
student at Arizona College of Nursing’s Phoenix campus said regarding the event.

Within Jen’s promise to never keep secrets, Jen emphasized the importance of
open communication. For example, if one of her patients had uncontrolled
gestational diabetes, she shared how she would discuss potential complications.

“I will talk to them about what a shoulder dystocia looks like, because in a
moment of shoulder dystocia, you are thinking about doing the maneuvers , you
are thinking about how much time it’s been, and… it’s very hard to explain what
is going on in the moment. So I want to pregame that moment and not keep
secrets.”

She continued, “If a baby has [struggled] all day long on the monitor, I know
that sometimes those babies don’t cry right away. So I’ll prepare people for,
hey, I am expecting your baby won’t cry right away, and that’s okay.”

She also offered advice for navigating the “soul suckers” on a unit. In other
words, the people with undeniable negative energy who you may be forced to
interact with on your unit.

“There’s going to be some that drink from your own cup and you can be as nice
and as encouraging and as loving to them as possible, and they can still spit in
your face,” Jen said. “So don’t get your worth from that. There are going to be
patients who do fill your cup, and you’re like, man, this is exactly why I do
it. But those ones should fill your cup enough for when you have this other soul
sucker, you can withstand that.”

“In nursing school, it can feel easy to get burnt out or feel like, am I cut out
for this? Can I do it? So, seeing people on the other side who are not only
succeeding but thriving, and she still is in love with what she does with no
regrets, is inspiring. It gives you that boost that you need to keep going.”
explained Brittini Larsen, a semester 6 student at Arizona College of Nursing’s
Phoenix Campus.

When asked how she balances the heavy emotional weight of the job, Jen gave her
signature answer: “Chickens”

## Bedside Nursing and Social Media

When asked how her social media presence has affected her bedside care, Jen
reflected on the fact that many people online and their recorded experiences
have changed her opinions on things.

“Watching people explain what happened to them during their birth stories
completely revolutionized the way that I care for my patients. You may recognize
that like, oh, me calling you mama the whole time [is not] endearing, and that
it [can] make someone feel like you don’t know [their] name. So, there are
things that you may not think about that impact a patient’s experience.”

On the topic of HIPAA, she offered advice to students who want to share their
own nursing journey online:

“Any story that you hear me tell on social media has been changed to keep
people’s privacy.”

She emphasized that even the stories in her book were all true and things that
she has experienced in the hospital, but she will combine patients together to
make sure the real them is unidentifiable.

![Jen Hamilton Conference at AZCN](https://arizonacollege.edu/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Jen-Hamilton-Conference-at-AZCN.webp?w=706)

## Jen’s Message for Student Parents and Closing Remarks

To the students who worry that they are prioritizing their studies over their
children, Jen gave the perspective of what it was like to be that child watching
her mom study to become a nurse.

“The fact that you are doing this for your kids makes you an even better
mom…They see you working hard [and] they hopefully know that there is going to
be an end to it.”

She ended the event with a final, encouraging thought: “One day, there’s going
to be another mom who is thinking about going to nursing school, and you will be
able to say, [I did it, and you can too](https://arizonacollege.edu/admissions/)
.”

**Categories:** Nursing Careers, Nursing School