When Providence nurse Jackie S. went out to dinner with a coworker one evening, she expected nothing more than a quiet night out. Instead, she found herself living out the very reason she became a nurse in the first place.
Jackie grew up surrounded by caregivers. Her mother and both sisters are also nurses, and she knew early on nursing was where she belonged. In high school, she completed a CNA program and began working right after graduation. She earned her nursing degree in 2009 and started her career in the emergency department. Over the years, she has worked in many places but mostly in the Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center emergency department and now in her current role in endoscopy.
Her years of training and experience caring for others in high-pressure situations are what she says prepared her most when a sudden life-or-death moment unfolded in the middle of restaurant.
A Shift from Dinner to Emergency
Jackie and her friend, also a nurse, were sitting at their table when a commotion erupted a few feet away.
“I think that woman is choking,” Jackie said. Her friend asked, “Should we go over there?”
Before they could decide, the woman’s grown son began shouting for help. A bystander had already attempted the Heimlich maneuver, but the woman, whose face had turned dark purple, was still choking.
Jackie walked over quickly.
“I’m a nurse—can I help?” She asked calmly.
Her emergency department instincts took over. For a moment she thought she might need to begin CPR. Instead, she started the Heimlich maneuver. On the third attempt she heard the woman cough. Jackie encouraged her to spit out any remaining food.
A moment later the woman finally expelled the blockage and took a deep, gasping breath as people around the table sighed with relief.
Just like that, the crisis was over.
“I’m glad you are okay,” Jackie said to the woman. She then gave her some space and quietly walked back to her table to finish her meal.
When asked how she felt about the ordeal, Jackie simply replied, “I’m a nurse, and that’s just what we do. We try to do our best.”
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A Ripple Effect
Jackie did not think much of the incident afterward, at least not until a TikTok video, praising her for saving the woman, went viral.
A woman who witnessed the event later approached Jackie to confirm she was the one who stepped in. The witness recognized the choking woman’s son and shared that he had recently lost his father. Jackie remembers feeling grateful the family did not have to endure another tragedy.
Later, the son came over to Jackie, emotional and grateful, and insisted on paying for her meal. She gave him a hug.
“The outpouring of appreciation has been the thing that stuck with me,” said Jackie.
“I don’t do this job to get accolades. I do it to help people and make them feel better. This situation brought that back for me,” she added. “This is what I love to do.”
Her friends and coworkers have been thrilled for her.
“They keep telling me, ‘You actually saved someone’s life outside of work! You should be so proud and own it,’” she explained.
A Reminder to Learn Lifesaving Skills
What meant the most to Jackie was seeing how many strangers rushed forward to help the woman and her son.
“In the restaurant, so many people came to their aid. Nobody knew each other, but everyone was trying to help. That community support was special,” she added.
One person who contacted Jackie afterward said the experience inspired her to sign up for a CPR class.
Jackie hopes more people feel empowered to do the same.
“Help if you can. That’s what I hope people take away from this,” said Jackie. “Knowing basic lifesaving skills makes such a difference.”
What Being a Providence Caregiver Means to Jackie
“I love my job. I became a nurse to help people and to have an impact on someone,” she said. “If I wasn’t a nurse, I don’t know what I’d do.”
That night at a restaurant, Jackie saw herself as a nurse doing what she was trained, and called, to do.
But to one family, and to thousands who saw the story online, she was much more than that. To them, Jackie was a hero.
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