Who is Jackie Nelson on Chicago Med? Everything you need to know

Chicago Med has been airing since 2015 as part of NBC’s One Chicago franchise. The show follows the doctors and nurses at Gaffney Chicago Medical Center as they handle emergency cases, make difficult medical decisions, and deal with their own personal struggles.

One of the characters who has recently returned to the series is Nurse Jackie Nelson, played by Natalie Zea. First introduced in season 9 episode 12, Jackie worked in the emergency department but was dealing with emotional distress, which led to self-harm.

Her storyline involved Maggie Lockwood and Dr. Daniel Charles intervening to help her, but things did not go smoothly. Jackie was eventually placed on a psychiatric hold, and after that, she disappeared from the hospital. However, she made a return in season 10.

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Everything you need to know about Natalie Zea's Jackie Nelson on Chicago Med

Chicago Med (Image via NBC)

Nurse Jackie Nelson, played by Natalie Zea, was first introduced in Chicago Med season 9 episode 12, titled Get By with a Little Help from My Friends. In the show, Maggie Lockwood noticed something was wrong when she saw cuts on Jackie’s arms. She grew concerned and wondered if Jackie had been abused. Dr. Daniel Charles stepped in and found out that Jackie had been harming herself.

Things got worse when Maggie found Jackie unconscious in the bathroom with fresh wounds on her arms. Jackie insisted she was fine but Dr. Charles had to put her on a 72-hour psychiatric hold. That was the last time Jackie appeared in season 9.

Jackie came back in season 10 episode 4 (Blurred Lines). She transferred back to the emergency department, which shocked Maggie who was not sure if she was ready. Jackie knew it was awkward and apologized to Dr. Charles for how she had acted the last time they spoke.

Jackie wanted to work again but was only given small tasks. Maggie assigned her to cases that were not serious like treating an ankle sprain or restocking supplies. Jackie got frustrated and asked Maggie why she was not being trusted with bigger cases.

Maggie tried to avoid the question but Jackie knew what was happening. She told Maggie that after everything she had been through, she was more prepared than ever to help patients in crisis.

Later in the episode, Jackie proved herself during a case involving a patient named Tessa who had poured acid into her own eyes. Tessa fought back when nurses tried to help her.

Instead of treating her like just another violent patient Jackie used her own experience with self-harm to reach her. She told Tessa that just a few months earlier she had been in the same place and was ready to choose relief over everything else.

She explained that waking up alive had given her another chance and she wanted Tessa to see that there was still hope.

Jackie’s ability to reach Tessa impressed both Dr. Charles and Maggie. After seeing how well she handled the situation, Maggie admitted she had been holding Jackie back out of fear. By the end of the episode, Maggie told Jackie to rest because she would be on trauma service the next day, signaling that she was finally ready to trust her again.

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Chicago Med season 10 episode 14 will air on Wednesday, February 26, 2025, at 8/7c on NBC.