Hope and Perseverance

[dagobah, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN]

I have been on this website since 2008 due to my own personal experiences and a mandatory program I finished over 3 years ago. I have remained sober and will be approaching 6 years this month. I joined this forum last year and chimed in every now and then, but I write today to share a dear friend's experience that has made me very grateful and very proud of this person.

Almost five years ago, I was in my last year of a very long four-year mandatory commitment (which many of you know what it entails). This kid comes to my AA meeting looking very depressed and the famous look of incomprehensible demoralization. I made some initial judgments: young kid gonna get the heat off their back and go right back to drinking. This alcoholic shares in the meeting about having their third DUI and how much trouble this person is in and going to be in. At that time, I still didn't hear this kid's whole story just the DUI part. Never shared he/she is one of us, a nurse.

After the meeting, I had to go to work and was not ready to help a newcomer at that time (couldn't be late for work, especially being in a board-mandated pgm). Well, one of the old-timers brings this kid to introduce to me. I say kid because I'm almost 20 yrs their senior. Sorry for the rigid anonymity, but you know…

Well, turns out he/she just got graduated nursing school and was denied licensure for the 3 DUI's. Immediately, I felt for this person. Gave this future nurse my phone number to call me. We connected, and I brought them to my old nurse support group, which I no longer needed to go. By bringing them there, there would be a lot of support.

And there was as I expected! I got a lot of help there too and I knew it would be the same for this kid.

Long story short, this nurse did this through the years:

Appeal every chance he/she got and also applied for licensure.

Did the traffic court DUI stuff, e.g. AA meetings, fines, etc.

On a completely voluntary, and I mean voluntary! Compiled years of attendance of a nurse support group. Which she/he did not need to go!! Some nurses there even told her/him to give up on nursing! No one gets an RN license after 3 DUIs!!!

Got a sponsor, which wrote character letters.

Became a secretary in my home group meeting

When under house arrest, hosted a women's/men's meeting.

Sponsored new comers who had less time than he/she had.

Went to 5-7 meetings a week.

Checked in consistently with sponsor.

I will add again, the traffic court AA meetings were just a fraction compared to the AA meetings he/she went on their own.

The list goes on!! I'm telling you!

The good news?! Last month the kid started his first RN job! Yes, she/he may have a mark on his licensure (probation just started last month for 3 years), but this nurse's work supports her/him. Why? I believe the kid just showed nothing is going to bring him/her down. This nurse worked hard as a nursing assistant and didn't expect anything in return. The company extended and offered a nursing position as soon as the Board of Nursing issued a license.

I'm extremely happy and proud of this kid. Calls me about once a month and thanks me for getting them started, and to also check in; but I want this nurse to know they did the footwork. It was their perseverance and hope that good things happened.

[annie.rn]

How incredibly wonderful for this person. I'm sure their perseverance will carry them far in their nursing career.

[SororAKS, ADN, RN]

Excellent! Thank you for sharing that!

[GerryBelle]

Thanks for sharing a very inspirational story! This just goes to show that no matter what happened in the past, if you keep working hard you will achieve your goal.

[dirtyhippiegirl, BSN, RN]

So did no one tell the poor kid that nursing school is an awful choice for someone with 3 DUIs?!

[CryssyD]

What an amazing story! I'm so glad you shared that with us--it's incredibly inspiring to hear about such determination. That "kid" is going to be an amazing nurse, as well as an awesome person. Thank you for being there for them:)