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Why You Recognize Natalie Zea's Nurse Jackie on Chicago Med
They say second time's the charm while trailblazing in Gaffney's Emergency Department.
Natalie Zea just returned to Chicago Med in an emotionally charged episode. She played Nurse Jackie, a role she originated in Season 9. (You also probably recognize Zea in beloved projects like Justified, The Following, Californication, and NBC's La Brea.)
Here's what happened during Zea's resurgence on the show:
When did Natalie Zea's Nurse Jackie Nelson first appear on Chicago Med?
Med fans may remember Zea from her guest appearance in Season 9 as Jackie Nelson, a nurse who briefly brushed shoulders with Maggie Lockwood (Marlyne Barrett) while working in the E.D. At the time, Maggie grew concerned about Jackie after noticing worrisome cuts on her arms. Assuming she may have been abused, Dr. Daniel Charles (Oliver Platt) shed some light on the situation — Jackie had been harming herself.
It all came to a head after Maggie found a distressed Jackie in the bathroom before she passed out, revealing her self-harm wounds. Despite Maggie reporting the incident to Dr. Charles, Jackie tried returning to work as if nothing happened, refusing to address the troubling moment. Dr. Charles was eventually forced to put Jackie on a 72-hour psych hold.
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Nurse Jackie's triumphant return to Chicago Med
Jackie's previous experience at Gaffney set the stage for an emotional reunion between her and Maggie in Season 10, Episode 4 ("Blurred Lines"). When Maggie arrived ready to onboard a new nurse transfer, she was surprised to see Jackie was the "newbie."
"It's not lost on me that this could be weird for you," Jackie began, but Maggie assured her it was all OK. After catching sight of Dr. Charles in the hallway, Jackie continued her apology tour.
"I owe you an apology for my colorful word choice the last time I saw you," Jackie told Charles.
"If memory serves, 'condescending prick' was a highlight," Dr. Charles mused. Dr. Charles was happy to welcome Jackie back; in his book, their previous altercation was water under the bridge.
Jackie didn't have much time to catch up with her colleagues before a combative patient named Tessa was ushered into the emergency room. Tessa was physically rough with the paramedics after they found her eyes swollen shut from what they assumed was an at-home assault. Jackie was eager to help, but Maggie suggested she handle an ankle sprain patient instead.
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Tessa's case took a turn after Mitch Ripley (Luke Mitchell) and Maggie realized her eye injury wasn't from blunt trauma; they were chemical burns. After Tessa woke up in the hospital, she screamed to be let go, fighting off the nurses who restrained her. Turns out it was Tessa who poured acid into her eyes.
It didn't take long for Dr. Charles to check in on Tessa to chat about her choice, learning she'd grown up in psych wards her entire life and was well aware of her rights. She assured Dr. Charles that she never intended to die — she'd distributed the acid with an eye dropper. Tessa just didn't want to see anymore.
Amid this troubling scene, Jackie was assigned several custodial jobs around the E.D. despite her eagerness to help the doctors. After Maggie commended her for cleaning the supply closet and began to recommend another chore for her, Jackie finally had enough.
"Is me working in the E.D. going to be a problem for you?" Jackie asked her.
When Maggie insisted it wasn't an issue, Jackie asked why she was given solely "softball cases" and chores.
"Jackie, it's your first day back," Maggie explained. "I just need to make sure that you're—"
"Stable?" Jackie asked.
"No," Maggie clarified. "Acclimated."
"You know, so much of this job is seeing people through the worst day of their life," Jackie said. "After what I just went through, I have never been better equipped to do that. But if you don't trust me with the patients, say so."
Nurse Jackie Nelson ended up being a patient's saving grace
Later, Maggie came to regret her hesitations after spotting Jackie in Tessa's hospital room with Dr. Charles. By referencing her history of self-harm, Jackie was able to gain Tessa's trust and help her gain some perspective about accepting help.
"About two and half months ago, I was ready to choose relief over everything else," Jackie told Tessa, spotting Maggie watching. "But I woke up this morning so grateful to the people in my life who intervened and didn't let me do something I couldn't undo. I know that living right now is so painful, but I promise you it's worth fighting for."
After Tessa eventually came around, Dr. Charles and Maggie caught up after the chaos. Having eavesdropped on Maggie and Jackie's previous chat, he pointed out that maybe Jackie would be more useful on the floor than in some supply closet.
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"It's not that I don't trust Jackie with patients," Maggie confessed. "I think she's an excellent nurse. I just don't want anything to throw her off and trigger her. Maybe I feel responsible for her."
"Jackie had to be cleared by a whole team of psychiatrists to come back to work," Dr. Charles reminded her. "And they knew she would be returning to an environment where she was gonna' encounter trauma. Emotional, physical, on a daily basis. They clearly felt she was ready. And I got to tell you, based on my experience of Jackie back at work today, I have to agree. So I don't know, think about it."
Maggie checked in on Jackie at the end of the shift, finding her relishing in a cup of coffee after a long day. Jackie was delighted to return to work and handled her first day like a champ. Inspired by Jackie's finesse and confidence, Maggie informed her she had better rest up because she would be on trauma service the following shift.
Watch Chicago Med on Wednesdays at 8/7c on NBC.
