Meet Nurse.org’s 2026 Best New Nurse Creator, Jocelyn Almaraz

We’ll be highlighting all of Nurse.org’s 2026 “Best Of” Nursing Award winners for you to get to know over the coming weeks. You can find the complete list of our winners here!

The nursing world is full of talented content creators, which made choosing this year’s Best of Nursing New Nurse Creator a challenge. But we are proud to introduce the 2026 Nurse.org New Nurse Creator as Jocelyn Almaraz, BSN, RN (known as @nurseeejojo on all platforms), from Dallas, Texas, as this year’s winner.

The proud first-generation Latina eldest daughter of Erika and Martin Almaraz and toddler mom to her boy, Elliott, tells Nurse.org that “family, resilience, and love” are at the center of everything she does.

With the goal of “making a difference in the world and helping her community” in mind, Almaraz started making content as a new OR nurse—and her influence has grown. “In a field where burnout is prone, content creation came into my life as a way to express myself and show my creativity,” she says.

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Ever since kindergarten, Almaraz remembers being the little girl who said she wanted to be a nurse when she grew up. “My heart has always been set on nursing because it feels like more than just a career—it felt like a true calling,” she tells Nurse.org.

Tragically, after losing her grandparents due to medical errors, she made it her mission to become not only the nurse she wished her family had, but also to serve as an advocate for patients and families during their most vulnerable moments. “I want to be a voice for those who feel unheard and make a meaningful difference in my community through compassion, trust, and quality care,” she explains.

After graduating from nursing school, Almaraz immediately took a job in the OR. She received the pushback you may expect about “losing skills” or missing out on valuable experience by going straight to the operating room, but the now seven-year OR veteran says she does not regret her decision.

“I’m so thankful I didn’t listen to negative comments because I’ve learned so much, gained a new set of skills, and grown tremendously as nurse,” she notes. “I am going on 7 years now as a nurse, and I’ve gotten the opportunity to also expand my skills as a pre op and PACU nurse. From robotic surgery to trauma on-call surgeries, I’ve gotten the opportunity to learn and see some incredible life-changing surgeries.”

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As an OR-based nurse, her time talking with patients may be limited, but Almaraz says she feels “lucky” to be able to cross paths with so many different types of people.

Her natural love for getting to know others spurred her foray into content creation, which she says fell “naturally” into her hands. “I’ve always been the person capturing memories and special moments for my family and friends,” Almaraz describes. “My dad inspired me to keep going with my silly little videos because growing up he was the one capturing all those moments, and now we look back and get the opportunity to see those special moments.”

Almaraz did not have a specific niche with her content, so she simply decided to take a leap and began sharing her real life, from nursing and lifestyle content to the ways she decompress after stressful shifts. She adds that although she is a smaller creator, her goal has always been to create a space where people can feel inspired, supported, and know they have someone they can turn to for tips, advice, and encouragement in the nursing world and beyond.

Her online following—on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube—has quickly grown, and Almaraz says she has been surprised by the genuine community and connection she has been able to build online, simply by being herself.

“I never expected so many people to relate to my experiences in nursing, motherhood, and everyday life,” she says. “It’s been incredibly rewarding to know that by sharing both the highs and the hard moments, I’ve been able to inspire, support, and connect with others who may be going through similar experiences.”

So what does a busy mom, OR nurse, and content creator’s daily schedule look like? You can always follow her online, of course, to find out, but if you’re curious, Almaraz gave us a small peek into how she spends her days:

• 5:00 AM – Wake up and get ready for the day
• 6:30 AM – Arrive at the hospital & review the surgical schedule
• 6:45 AM – Prepare operating rooms: equipment checks, supplies, patient charts, and safety checks
• 7:00 AM – First patient arrives in pre-op; verify consent, allergies, procedure, and patient safety measures
• 7:30 AM – 3:00 PM – Circulator role during surgeries:
  • Coordinate the OR team
  • Maintain sterility and patient safety
  • Document throughout procedures
  • Assist anesthesia and surgeons as needed
  • Obtain additional supplies/equipment during cases
  • Perform counts and ensure safe patient positioning
  • Between surgeries: Room turnover, restocking, charting, preparing for the next case
  • Afternoon – Final charting, handoff communication, clean-up, and preparing rooms for the next day, unless I am on call. If I’m on call, I take over surgeries or wait for an emergency add-on.
• Evening – Film videos, edit content, answer DMs/comments, brainstorm ideas while still being a mom and spending time with my toddler.
• Night – Self-care, unwind, and prepare to do it all again the next day.

“This is just a small glimpse of what a day might look like,” she describes. “Balancing life in the OR and content creation keeps me busy, but I love being able to educate, inspire, and connect with the nursing community both inside and outside the hospital.”

Balancing her life as an OR nurse with her life outside of the hospital is both the draw of her social media success and one of the biggest challenges she has as a content creator.

“Nursing is such a meaningful and demanding career, so it’s important to remain respectful, protect patient privacy, and represent the profession in a positive way while still being open and relatable online,” she explains. “At the same time, I try to use my platform to show the reality of nursing while creating a safe and encouraging space for others in healthcare.”

Almaraz is passionate about sharing her work as a nurse online and off because she believes that nursing has “so much to offer.”

“You can work at a hospital, surgery center, school, a company, private practice, or start your own business; the options are infinite,” she describes. “To all my new grads, remember it’s never too late to try something new, whether it’s a new job or specialty. That’s the beauty of nursing, if you start a job and feel like you don’t like nursing, you just haven’t found your spot yet.”

Outside of working in the OR and creating online content, Almaraz also makes in-person connections and hobbies, like Pilates and hiking, a priority. She even shares a little-known fact that she’s an accomplished violinist: “I actually started when I was in elementary school and never stopped!”

The hard-working nurse is weighing a few different decisions for her future, from going back to earn her NP or continuing to grow her online career. Either way, she says her ultimate goal is to continue working hard as a first-generation Latina nurse, make her family proud, enjoy her son, and spend as much time as possible with family and friends.

Alamarz adds that she is “thrilled” to have been chosen as Nurse.org’s New Nurse Creator of the Year, and believes the recognition is yet another reminder of how far a nursing degree can take you.

“I’m reminding myself on the hard days that this is my dream job,” she says. “Helping, healing, loving, nurturing, providing for those in need. What a beautiful career to have. Literally life-changing!”