Appearance
S6 E24 ‘Baptism of Fire’ – S13 E21 ‘What You Mean by Home’; S19 E38 –
Job Title
Staff Nurse/ Ward Sister
First Words
[She walks up to Mickie, who is talking to Mubbs] Oi, I thought you were supposed to be meeting me in reception.
Background
Staff Nurse Donna Jackson causes havoc in Holby with her confident, outspoken nature. She is straight out of college, but is not driven or ambitious about her career – she prefers the party life.
We are first introduced to her in S6 E24, but she does not make a good impression with Kath as she is disorganised and cheeky. Diane is also shocked to learn that Donna has spent the night with Peter – who she thought she was supposed to be dating exclusively. At the end of the day, Owen takes Donna and new midwife Mickie out for a drink, but they don’t give the best first impression. Mickie gets horrendously drunk, while Donna invites herself to move in with Jess and Lisa. In S6 E25, Donna storms off after an argument with Ed and threatens to leave. She admits to being a bit of a drama queen and Kath manages to placate her. Donna advises Jess to go for it with Robert and weather the inevitable disapproval. In S6 E27, after taking drugs, the forthright Donna makes a play for Ed and they end up kissing. In S6 E28, Donna spots that a patient is hiding bulimia and impresses Ric with her discovery. In S6 E30, Jess makes it clear to Robert that a reconciliation is not on the cards but, when she returns home, she is shocked to find him waiting inside her flat with wine and chocolates. The situation turns nasty; Robert strikes Jess, and Donna returns in time to witness the struggle, which ends with Robert falling through a glass door. In S6 E34, Donna is late for work and is not pulling her weight. She thinks having her flatmate, Lisa, as her new boss will give her an easy ride. But when she disobeys orders and a patient goes missing, Lisa loses her temper and reprimands Donna for her behaviour. Lisa realises that being liked is less important than being effective and she declines the offer to go for drinks with Jess and Donna, opting to work late instead. In S6 E35, Donna discovers Mickie drunk in the bar and about to go home with a lecherous stranger. When confronted, Mickie tells Donna that she is a virgin. Unfazed by her friend’s announcement, Donna takes her home, telling her that she will help her lose her virginity – but with a more suitable man. In S6 E36, Donna arrives late again, after having been out all night. She gives her clothes to Mickie to put away and Mickie finds a wrap of speed in the pocket and drops it in front of Owen. He is furious but says he will not report her -this time. Mickie shouts at Donna, who is more concerned with having the speed returned. In S6 E37, Stuart, who was driving Diane’s sister, Joanna in his cab at the time of the accident, chats up Donna. But when she discovers that he’s a drug dealer, she goes behind Zubin’s back to order a drug test. In S6 E39, after a hard day at work, Mickie, Donna, and Jess go back to the flat for a few drinks. Lisa returns home from work and, not happy with the party, goes to bed. Heeding her advice, Jess follows suit. Left alone, Mickie and Donna get drunk, and a play fight leads to a passionate kiss. In S6 E40, Mickie wakes up in Donna’s bed and soon comes to terms with their lesbian tryst, but Donna is uncomfortable. Later, Donna tells Mickie that last night meant nothing and cannot happen again, but she does not want to lose her as a friend. Mickie tries to hide her feelings; she makes her excuses and leaves – clearly hurt. In S6 E41, Mickie feels uncomfortable around Donna, who resolves to repair their friendship, and she is frustrated when Donna gets them tickets to see a lesbian band that night. Donna jokes with Mickie about her sexuality and the two become friends again. In S6 E42, Donna is behind on her rent, and Lisa is fed up with her lies and attitude at work, so she tells her to move out – that night. With nowhere else to stay, a tearful Donna ends up spending the night in the relatives’ room. In S6 E43, a tearful Donna confides to Chrissie that she is homeless and tells her where she has been sleeping. In S6 E47, Jess tells Donna that she has a crush on an older man. Donna realises that it is Zubin and teases her but Jess begs her not to tell anyone. Later, Donna tells Mickie but asks her to keep the news a secret. In S6 E48, Donna arranges a surprise birthday party for Ric at Lisa’s flat. In S6 E52, after a hard day at work, Mickie is feeling low. Donna tells her she has some pills which will cheer her up and puts them in her pocket.
In S7 E1, Mickie is devastated when a patient dies shortly after giving birth. Donna promises to cheer her up that night but when Mickie gets home Lisa informs her that Donna has gone out on a date. Mickie feels abandoned and takes one of the pills Donna gave her last week. She goes into town and ends up in a mess and also mugged. In S7 E2, Lisa blames Donna for giving abandoning Mickie when she was in need. She tells Mickie that she no longer has to sleep on the sofa and offers her Donna’s room. In S7 E3, Ric and Donna head to Paris with a cancer patient who has offered them money to go with him. On their first night in Paris, Ric feels guilty about taking the man’s money and leaving him and decides to gamble. He loses all his money – and Donna’s. In S7 E4, having lost all their money, Ric and Donna wake up together in bed – sleeping head to toe. When they meet up with Zubin, Donna helps Jess avoid her father. In S7 E7, Donna celebrates her birthday and has a party. In S7 E10, Donna is organising the secret Santa. Donna secretly buys an MP3 player with her credit card. When Mickie is given the gift at the party she is overjoyed and guesses it is from Donna. Donna tells her is her way of saying thanks for being such a good friend. Later, when she tries to buy drinks at the bar, Donna’s credit card is rejected. [ID 1440]Sean[/ID] also questions Donna about why Jess dumped him and discovers Jess is pregnant. In S19 E17, Donna is caught up in the oil tanker explosion at the hospital. Harry asks Donna to talk a woman who is trapped under the rubble – to reassure her she will be fine. When electric sparks start to go off and the tanker starts to move, Donna becomes scared and runs off leaving the frightened woman, who calls her a coward. In S7 E11, Donna is struggling with a patient and a dying Alistair talks her through a complicated medical procedure. Donna saves his life and goes to thank Alistair but he has already passed away. In S7 E14, Donna tells Mickie that she has set her up a blind date for her with one of her lesbian friends. Mickie is not impressed and tells her she will set up her own dates. In S7 E15, Donna reminds Mickie she is gay and should not be going out with Mubbs after they have previously kissed. Mickie decides to go out to a gay bar with Donna that night. She tells Mubbs she is now going out with Donna but he invites himself. Mickie persuades Will to come too so that Mubbs will not get the wrong idea. At the gay bar Donna is angry that Mickie has brought the two men – she has brought her lesbian friend Chelsea who she wants to set Mickie up with. In S7 E17, bailiffs turn up at the girls’ flat – Donna has not kept up her loan repayments. Donna lets them take the TV and other belongings – she does not tell the bailiffs that the possessions are in fact Lisa’s.In S7 E19, Donna buys curries for everyone but goes to a cheaper curry house and pockets the change. However, her plan is exposed when everyone that eats the curry is taken ill – including her. She goes home sick and Lisa comes back from holiday to find that her possessions have gone. Donna confesses that the bailiffs took them. In S7 E20, Lisa is furious with Donna and tells her she had to pay £500 to get her belongings back. She says Donna can earn the money back by being in charge of AAU. Donna finds the experience stressful and learns a valuable lesson about management. Mickie tells Donna that she asked Connie out for a drink a while ago – Donna is shocked. In S7 E21, Donna goes for a job at the bar and gets Mickie to help her by lying and telling the manager, Jodie, that she has bar experience, which she hasn’t. In S7 E23, at Diane & Owen’s wedding reception, Donna tells Lisa she wants to meet the owner of the silver convertible in the car park. She is disappointed when she finds out it belongs to Mubbs but they end up kissing anyway. In S7 E24, Mubbs avoids Donna but she goes out of her way to ask him for a drink that evening. He makes it clear that their night together was fun, but a one-off. Donna hides her disappointment. In S7 E27, an old school teacher of Donna’s is brought in after an RTA. In S7 E28, Donna is upset when she fails to save the life of a young woman who has commit suicide. In S7 E35, Donna has got a part time job as a tequila girl in a bar but misses a shift to spend time with a patient who’s lost her husband. In S7 E37, Donna says she has been up all night preparing for her job interview – as the Keller staff are being downsized everyone has to reapply for their jobs. Donna gives a really good interview , Lisa tells her that although she was really impressed, other candidates had more experience so she will not be getting a job on Keller. She says Donna is welcome to go for agency work or apply for other jobs at Holby. In S7 E40, Donna and Sean have been on a date. Donna asks if they can meet again and he agrees. However, throughout the day she texts him and he does not reply. She becomes anxious that he no longer likes her and asks Dean for advice. Dean tries to put her off Sean and tells her that if Sean cannot see how special she is then he is a fool. Donna arranges to go for drinks with Dean and the others after work. Sean tells Donna he has had a bad day and would like to go to dinner with her. She then cancels with Dean, who is visibly disappointed. In S7 E49, Donna helps Mickie open a new family planning clinic in the department. Donna tries to scare one teenager into using condoms when she discovers he has been cheating on her. In S7 E50, Donna convinces Mickie they should forge forms to allow a teenager, Amy, the ‘abortion pill’.
In S8 E5, Amy is back at the Clinic. Donna discovers Amy is pregnant again and that she is being abused by her step-dad. When the mother turns up, Owen also becomes involved. Donna and Mickie are in big trouble when Owen finds out they forged official forms. The mother, packs her daughter home and dismisses the abuse story. Donna is upset that she can’t do more to help Amy. In S8 E8, Amy has taken an overdose and Donna finds her collapsed. In S8 E11, Donna is one of the trapped in a tunnel collapse on the way to the Christmas Party. In S8 E13, Donna spots a job ad on the notice board for a nurse on Keller and decides to apply. However, she is upset when she finds out that Mickie has already got the job, and can’t understand why she didn’t tell her about it. To Mickie she acts pleased for her, but to Dean she voices her annoyance at being a bank nurse. However after being congratulated by Lola during her shift for doing a good job, she cheers up and even offers to take Mickie out for a drink to celebrate her new position. In S8 E16, Donna and Mickie work together and end up clashing when Mickie feels she is undermining her, when she is trying show Ric she is capable of running the ward. In S8 E18, Donna receives Valentines gifts although it turns out not to be from a secret admirer as she’d had hoped; as her gifts were meant for a Donald Jackson in another department. In S8 E23, Donna meets a handsome physiotherapist called Justin, who turns out to be Kyla’s ex. Kyla warns Donna off him, but this doesn’t stop Donna from later agreeing to go on a date with him. In S8 E29, Donna is upset when she finds out from a patient – who is a pole dancer – that Justin was in her strip club at the weekend. Donna talks about their relationship and Justin says he didn’t realise he was in one – he just wanted some harmless fun. But Donna is upset and walks off. In S8 E32, new Assistant General Manager, Bradley, begins his first day at Holby. When he asks Donna to come to the May ball that evening Donna is pleased, thinking he is interested in her. However, she is gutted to learn that Bradley actually likes Mickie, and it’s Reg who fancies her. Donna decides not to go to the ball, leaving Reg devastated. While waiting for a bus in the rain, Donna bumps into Justin, who offers her a lift home. In S8 E38, Donna is pleased to see Bradley again. He is wearing the same green polo shirt that the porters wear so she assumes that he is one. Donna flirts with Bradley and gives him tips on skiving. However, she is later shocked to discover Bradley’s real job role. In S8 E39, Bradley blames Donna when she overdoses a patient, after he has changed the drug labelling system. To apologise, he offers to take her out to dinner. She gladly accepts and promptly cancels her plans with a devastated Reg. In S8 E40, Reg and Donna fall out when Reg tries to warn her about what Bradley is really like. However, Donna is oblivious and accuses Reg of stirring things up. In S8 E43, following an elderly lady, Bridie’s death who Donna helped treat, a relative makes a complaint. Bradley suggests cooling things off with Donna so that he will be able to show his support for her in an official way. The complaint is later dropped. Meanwhile, Reg is flustered after seeing Donna come out of the staff shower and Mickie teases him for the longing looks he’s been giving Donna. Reg shows some courage when he finds Donna upset over her split with Bradley and comforts her. However when he later sees Bradley and Donna make up, he is again at a loss. In S8 E44, there is increasing tension between Matt and Donna over the death of Bridie. The pair are treating patient (who’s been going out with Donna’s Nan) who has a hernia. But when he is given a morphine overdose, they are both hawled into Ric’s office and are asked who is reponsible for the error. In S8 E49, Matt continues to accuse Donna of incompetence when treating a patient. But things are not quite what they seem when it is discovered that the medicine has been tampered with and Bradley is called in to question. In S8 E52, Bradley comes back to collect the last of his belongings, Reg confronts him about the drugs scam and when he dumps Donna, she finally realises what he is really like and punches him. Reg feels it now time to say how he feels about her – she says she already knows but wants them to be just friends. Reg is deflated.
In S9 E3, Matt is in Halloween mode and tries to scare Donna by talking about the paranormal. Donna is dismissive but, when her patient, Fran, seems to know more about Donna than she should, Donna starts to believe in the afterlife. Medium Fran, has been told she has cancer by voices. She takes caffeine tablets to be admitted in the hope she can get her cancer diagnosed. Although at first reluctant, Donna agrees to help her and persuades Ric to give her a scan which shows she does infact show early stages of cancer. In S9 E9, Donna gets her own back on a patient, Luca, she once had a fling with, who pretends not to recognise her. In S9 E11, when she is late for work, Dan ropes her into dressing into a horse costume. In S9 E17, Donna finds a fiver on the floor. Her, Maddy and Dean make a deal to buy some scratchcards in a syndicate together to increase their chances, but when Donna discovers her ticket has won the £20,000 jackpot, it looks as if she’s got no intention of sharing her winnings. In S9 E18, Donna is happy spending her cash but doesn’t seem to show much remorse about not sharing her winnings with Maddy and Dean. Her attempt to reconcile with a limo ride doesn’t go down well but Donna is still unaffected and says she’ll be leaving Holby soon anyway. In S9 E20, It’s Donna’s last day as she plans to travel Australia with her remaining winnings. However patient, Malcolm, who comes in awaiting a hernia operation, tries to persuade her to invest some of her cash. Donna, Matt and Dean discover Malcolm has bi-polar disorder but he has made a runner with Donna’s cash from the safe. Donna finds him but not before he throws all her cash out the window. Staff outside collect the money to give to a former young patient at the charity event later in the evening – Donna attempts to retrieve her money but with everyone looking she is forced to let the charity keep her winnings. And when she also misses her flight, it looks as if she will be returning to Holby after all. In S9 E33, Faye and Sam wind up Donna when she tries to matchmake them.
In S10 E1, Mark and Donna find James shot at an industrial estate, whilst Mark comes clean to her about his drug problem. In S10 E6, Donna sees new General Surgeon Consultant Michael being beaten up in the car park on his first day of work. When she asks him about it, he turns on her. Later, feeling guilty about his behaviour, he buys her concert tickets to say sorry. In S10 E7, Donna and Jac both fight for Michael’s attention. In S10 E8, Donna continues to flirt with Michael and he finds it increasingly difficult not to succumb to her charms. During a play fight they almost kiss. In S10 E12, Donna believes she is up for the Nurse of the Year award. However, when it transpires there has been a clerical error and she’s hasn’t been nominated, Michael is on hand to cheer her up. In S10 E16, Donna pretends to have a date with Linden to stop people teasing her about her love life – but she ends up getting caught out. In S10 E17, still being teased about her fake date with Linden, Donna decides to “go on strike” rather than help Maria with an overweight patient. In S10 E22, after much flirting, Donna and Michael end up kissing. As they tear each other’s clothes off, a phone call interrupts them and Michael leaves suddenly. Donna is unaware that it was Michael’s wife on the line. In S10 E26, Michael sucks up to Connie, anxious about the fact she caught him and Donna in the locker room, and Connie takes the opportunity to wind Michael up. Later, Michael changes his mind about taking Donna to a work dinner after she gets all glammed-up – and Connie likens the scenario to the film ‘Pretty Woman’. In S10 E27, Michael and Connie succesfully operate together and he asks her to continue the celebrations at his place, Connie turns him down and Michael ends up sleeping with Donna instead. In S10 E28, Donna and Maria are having fun uploading profiles for the Sexy Consultant Awards – but Michael becomes frustrated by Donna’s behaviour and assumes that she’s gossiping about them sleeping together. In S10 E30, Connie teases Michael about the necklace he gave Donna. In S10 E47, Donna decides she wants to become a scrub nurse. In S10 E48, Donna’s quest for a better position at Holby begins as Elliot starts to take her through some medical theory. Donna looks flummoxed but tries hard to impress Elliot with a new patient. Unfortunately, her old ways reappear and she makes more mistakes than ever.
In S11 E3, Donna is jealous of Maria’s man and asks Sam to help her get some theatre experience so she can get a high-profile doctor boyfriend. In S11 E6, Maria is upset as she won’t get a chance to say goodbye to her boyfriend. Donna offers to cover for her, but then lets Maria down in order to help Elliot in theatre. In S11 E9, the Holby Christmas party has been cancelled, so Donna decides to raise money and organise one herself. Maria and Donna are still not on the best of terms. In S11 E10, Donna comforts Maria when Sam leaves Holby. In S11 E11, Maria and Donna lose a patient only to find him at the bottom of the laundry chute. In S11 E17, Michael’s wife, Annalese [who had previously begun working in Holby] becomes very suspicious of him. She snoops through his things. However, all she succeeds in finding out is that Michael and Donna have been planning a surprise for her. In S11 E20, Donna helps assist Michael in stopping Annalese finding out about a romance with an old flame who turns up in the hospital. But Annalese realises he has been playing away when he spots Donna wearing a necklace the same as the one Michael bought her. Next episode she confronts Donna.
Memorable Moments
S6 E30 – Donna rescues Jess from Robert
S6 E39 – Donna and Mickie kiss.
Extra Images
