Growing up in Chicago’s West Side community, Jazmine Lampkin always saw Rush University Medical Center as a prestigious institution. After earning her second bachelor’s in nursing and gathering a few years of hands-on experience as a critical care nurse, Lampkin entered the extended, three-year track of Rush University’s College of Nursing as a Doctorate Nurse Practitioner student in the Advanced Public Health Nursing Practice Program.
Going from a BSN to a DNP program didn’t scare her away, and being a mom and breast cancer fighter has only strengthened her throughout her journey.
A life-changing diagnosis and dedication to improving health equity on Chicago’s West Side Community
During Lampkin’s time at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville in an accelerated BSN program, she had no interest in public health. She instead wanted to focus on critical and intensive care after graduating, as she felt it was a highly intense form of nursing that could accelerate her learning.
After five years as a critical care nurse, Lampkin was diagnosed with breast cancer. She noted her experience as a Black woman with this type of diagnosis has been hard, finding that she must ensure she's advocating for herself. Her experience as a nurse and patient has helped her understand that many people don't always have an adequate level of access to resources for health care, which can cause them to fall through cracks.
"I feel like it has made me a better nurse because I now see both sides,” Lampkin says. “I understand why I've had patients in the past who are frustrated and angry. When you don't have experience with an illness and pain, you feel like it's personal, but it's not personal. When you have that knowledge and experience from the patient’s side, you become even more empathetic and even more compassionate for people."
After Lampkin’s diagnosis, she joined Rush as a community health nurse, where her experience as both a nurse and a patient melded and shaped her decision to pursue higher education again.
As Lampkin’s journey continued, her decision to return to school was cemented by her work in the Black community on Chicago’s West Side.
"I'm an African American from the West side of Chicago and being amongst my people and seeing how we survive — in so many ways, I just started to feel like I needed more experience in leadership to start being a part of changes that will really make an impact on my community.”
Success and support in the Advance Public Health Nursing DNP program
Lampkin has been finding quite a bit of success at Rush, in part due to the school’s supportive community.
"I really, truly believe that my advisor wants me to succeed, and my instructors want me to succeed,” she says.
The diversity of the Advanced Public Health Nursing DNP Program also contributes to her feeling comfortable enough to be vulnerable — and that she’s being provided with what she needs to be successful.
The university’s dedication to health equity is something Lampkin also holds near and dear.
“I just love Rush,” she says. “They recognize that there is a problem, and they're on the path to figure out how to fix that problem."
Lampkin reflects on her orientation day, when she received her second breast cancer diagnosis — and questioned whether her DNP was truly something she could pursue. But Heidi Cygan, DNP, RN, director, Advanced Public Health Nursing Program, College of Nursing, assured Lampkin that everyone at the college wanted to see her succeed and ensured she was able to access any available resources to make that happen.
"Dr. Cygan, my advisor, Dr. Swider and my instructors have been with me every step of the way, doing whatever they can to make sure I succeed,” says Lampkin. “And that's what I love about being a Rush student. You never feel counted out."
A podcast that provides much needed health information for Chicago’s marginalized communities
Since switching gears to public health, Lampkin has taken on the “Thrive Alive” podcast at Rush, where she works alongside colleagues who, like her, saw a need for more health care information in marginalized communities. “Thrive Alive” looks to bridge the gap between medical consumers, community members and health care providers and researchers.
"We are trying to bring people to the table who have this knowledge and translate it to the people who are participating in the research and consumers of health care in order to bridge the gap,” Lampkin says. “We want to discuss the fears around research, the importance of it, and answer questions that people may not have access to otherwise."
"Thrive Alive" is hosted by the Alive Faith Network, a community-academic partnership blending wisdom and faith with Rush's scientific knowledge to improve the health and well-being of members of the African American community. Their audience started with churches in Chicago's Black communities but has expanded to other platforms, enabling it to reach a younger audience and Black men.
“That's another thing about public health,” Lampkin says. “You must find ways to reach people that are convenient, comfortable and accessible for them.”
Looking ahead with big goals in mind
Lampkin's goal upon graduating in 2027 is to become more educated in health care policy because she believes this is where change starts.
“When I was a bedside nurse, I noticed things like a lot of marginalized communities dying from preventable illnesses, like high blood pressure, end stage renal disease, strokes and heart disease,” Lampkin notes. “As a bedside nurse, I’d treat the patient in the moment, but I'm also thinking there must be something that can be done on a larger scale to prevent people from being here, from getting to this point. And that's the importance of public health. It's teaching people how to take care of themselves in a way that will prevent them from getting chronic illnesses down the line.”
With the experience, knowledge and skills she's gaining, Lampkin continues to develop throughout the APHN DNP Program. She feels optimistic about her future and her ability to achieve her goals, thanks to her strength and the commitment and support of the Rush community.
