afbc

Time for the happy ending... Rode to the testing site with my best AA friend this past week - On the drive, we drank coffee while sharing stories about sobriety, life, and pretty ones who got away . Grabbed lunch and hit a noon meeting before I took my boards. 75 questions in 75 minutes. Hit a meeting that night - The BON had the results posted before the noon meeting the next day. Start orientation this Tuesday - dream job. A new freedom and happiness - and the fear of financial insecurity will leave us. Thank you everyone... Eternally grateful for the support from my friends and peers along the journey. Grateful for a higher power of my understanding for doing for me what I could not do for myself. As I say farewell and wrap this thread up, I want you to remember two things, One, Good things happen to alcoholics who stay sober. And two, God loves you as much as he loves Mother Teresa and Mr Rodgers. Know that I love you all, - enjoy the journey and watch for those miracles along the way. afbc

And graduated.... wore all white - looked like a big polar bear. My mom flew in - I was pinned with her first nursing pin from 1967. Lots of happy tears. Exit exams passed... License application is done and paid for... Sitting here working on my resume and cover letters... The Florida BON sent me my deficiency letter, passed my background check (apparently all that crap from the 80's and early 90's isn't such a big deal afterall) - The BON is just waiting on transcripts before sending me my authorization to test. I've fallen in love with the OR - just absolutely enamored with it. I've already been accepted into the BSN program, and spoken with the director or the surgical services portion of our health science division. Hopefully, I should start the first assist program next summer with a focus on cardiovascular first assist. A surgeon I know from the recovery community has already volunteered to preceptor me once we reach that point. Sitting here almost in tears of happiness. For anyone new to sobriety, facing unsurmountable challenges, and struggling, I only have this advice for you: Work your program to the best of your ability, good things happen to alcoholics who stay sober. So incredibly thankful for the opportunities my higher power has laid before me - and grateful that an old homeless drunk like me would be given a second chance. God loves you as much as he loves Mother Teresa and Mr Rodgers. afbc

99 days till my last final.... and I celebrate 19 years the day my practicum ends :)

26 November 1995 (Gawd, I'm coming up on twenty years..) RN student working a full time job as an aide - Less then eight months of school/clinicals left NCLEX after that... Grateful but tired, burnt, and off the beam - definitely ready to finish Looking forward to having some normalcy and consistency in my life.

I was reading back through this thread today and I saw this hidden piece of prophetic wisdom. Just confided to a close friend last week that it's been 10 years since I've been as far off the beam spiritually as I seem to be while I'm in school. The Long hours, skipped meals, and night staying at home studying rather then out socializing with 'friends'. Been a bit rough, and my contact list in my phone has shrunk a bit. Nice to know this was to be expected. Either way, I am eternally grateful! afbc

Hrmmmm 18 months since an update... Probably about time to say Hi and tell anyone here on the forums in recovery to keep on trudging! Miracles do happen - my life is a perfect example. Middle of my third semester now - sitting here procrastinating when I really should be nose deep in a text book memorizing all the different pediatric congenital heart defects. Life is beyond good.. Long gone is the 4.0 - B's for Degrees is my new motto! Think I need one A before graduation for magna cum laude - I don't particularly care but I know it would make my mom proud. School's awesome - Love clinicals - love being me around people and knowing that people actually appreciate me for who I am, and not some mask I wear. Love the support of all my classmates - Friendships I cherish and hope continue on past nursing school. Have an awesome job working at a rehabilitative hospital as an aide - movin' bodies and cleaning up poop - Best experience I could ever imagine before actually getting my license. My desire to go into addictions nursing has waned some over the past few years - my time at the substance abuse facility left me a bit burned with mental health. I find my interests now leaning towards peri-operative, wound care (yes I'm serious) and strangely enough, peds. I appreciate the support I've received both in and out of recovery. Hopefully, someone who is following my path - older, a bit of sobriety, looking to do something amazing, and scare to death of the first step forward - will someday read this and see that if an old, homeless drunk like me can wander backwards into nursing school - then anyone can. Best of wishes everyone - Last final is mid-November. Practicum finishes early December. And I hope to take the NCLEX early January. Thank you again - know I love each and everyone of you - even if we've never met. Love you guys and wish all of you the best, afbc

I went through a somewhat similar situation about 3 years ago while trying to get into nursing school - I will ask you this: Would you prefer to tell the truth upfront and risk not getting in, or would you prefer to omit the truth and spend the next few years fearing your past will be found out and you will be asked to leave? I told the brutal truth in my interview - every deep and dirty secret - and now every time I walk down the corridors of my school, I know I have nothing to hide. It's a great feeling! Best of luck - hold your head high and stay strong afbc

"As a representative of the Admission Committee, I am happy to inform you that you have been conditionally accepted into the Associate Degree Nursing Program for the Spring 2012 Term." ACCEPTED!!!! So incredibly grateful today, afbc

HOLA!!! Please accept my sincerest apologies, much too much time has passed since my last update considering how often I lurk these forums while studying or doing homework. Sooo. . . Currently working on my fourth full-time semester of college and life is awesome! Still have the perfect 4.0 (pharm may have something to say about that this semester) and have snagged a few minor scholarships. The support I have received along the way from both members of the recovery community and my fellow classmates has been phenomenal. I am truly blessed to have such awesome friends. My nursing packet was resubmitted on the first of October, and my nursing adviser has informed me that I am an "exceptional candidate" for the January 2013 class. I am so incredibly grateful for the opportunities laid out before me today! Ironically, now that time has passed and my fear is gone, I am quite open about my past to both my fellow students and my instructors. I am, and will always be, just and old homeless drunk trying to make a better life for myself and those whose lives I touch. Work is great! A promotion or two later and I am now the admin supervisor for our small substance abuse facility. Fun, fun, fun to say the least! Insurance credentialing, DCF licensure, CARF certification, EHR’s, insurance billing, off-site coordination for medical services, all fell into my IN box. . . Both of our managing partners are extremely supportive about my chosen career path, and have consistently bent over backwards to accommodate my academic schedule. Recently, I was given the opportunity to train my successor for the transition in January IF I am accepted into the nursing class. At that time, I will be the late afternoon and Friday “paperwork” guy. AWESOME! Anywhoooo. . . Need to get back to Pharm I guess, mid-term Monday! Love you guys and wish all of you the best, afbc

Hrmmm....... I thought I had posted an update this past December after finals, apparently not... Anyway, life is absolutely spectacular, certainly more then an old drunk like me deserves. Pulled a 4.0 last semester, knocked the HESI 2 out of the ballpark (96% for anyone interested), and watched an unexpected dream job land in my lap (the in house supervisor for a beach-side sober living facility here in the Florida). All nursing packet boxes checked, all pre-reqs are done, just a waiting game now. The submission deadline is end of February. Acceptance letters will be mailed a few weeks after that. Next semester has started. Full time again and such a fun schedule! A/P 2 + lab Nutrition English Comp Intro to Music (humanities requirement) Seriously, I couldn't have planned a life as awesome as the one I've been given. I am grateful! Love all of ya! More to come! afbc

Innlove, Being in recovery myself, I can truly appreciate your desire to enter into addictions nursing. I have recently started back to college, hoping to someday obtain my RN and find myself an evening position at one of the local rehabs or detox's where I do volunteer work. I am currently just a nursing student and could not, in good faith, give you knowledgeable career advice. What I can share is years of experience participating in the local recovery community and carrying our message to the addict and alcoholic in detox and in rehab. IF you are a member of a twelve step program, I would highly suggest that you consider attending meetings at the local detox or rehab in your area if possible. Definitely take the time to ask questions and get to know the staff. The addiction nurses and mental health techs are invaluable sources of information in regards as to what to expect from a career in the field, and what you will actually be doing. I am very fortunate to have good relationships with the evening crews for both of our addiction facilities here. Congratulation on your recovery and best of luck with your career choice, afbc

Just a quick update... After several weeks of increasing anxiety over a multitude of last second financial aid issues, it is finally done. Twenty three years after being escorted off my previous campus for alcohol related incidents, I start school full time August 22 at our local state college. I have a schedule full of nursing prereqs, and paid for my textbooks today(Ouch! my mullet isn't the only change since I last was in school!). A/P A/P lab Psych Developmental Psych Sociology I've turned my living room into a study, gave away the TV and downgraded cable to internet only, paid off both the credit cards and the motorcycle. Down to rent, electric and internet, that's it. I'm very grateful that this budget allows a relaxed work schedule which will allow me to still do volunteer work with addicts, alcoholics and the homeless three nights a week. Thank you everyone again for your compassion and support, I'll update this periodically (hopefully good updates) More to come, afbc

No felonys, NOTHING in the past fifteen years. Nothing on my background check for the admissions board. Just stupid alcohol related crap I did back in the early 90's. DUI, VOP, FTA, PI, crap like that. God I don't know if pursuing this will be an eventually waste of time... Ugggh

I'm not sure I will ever get past the question on the application "Have you ever been convicted of anything other then minor traffic violations?" Even though the wreckage is fifteen years old, the admissions board has to start "thinning the herd" somewhere and my background is not pristine. Really starting to second guess myself, this afternoon.

Not selected, may try again in January.

My interview was this afternoon and I feel I did well. I am satisfied that throughout this whole process, regardless of the outcome, I did my best. As far as this interview, the only question I felt I crashed and burned on was the standard "Tell us your greatest weakness". My mind reached critical mass and went into vapor lock. I replied something to the extent of "I cry during the grieving process and I am afraid I will cry in front of a patient's family." :headdesk Not my best moment, but certainly not my worse. I was surprised on how incredibly short the interview process was once I was called in to see the admissions board, six questions, start to finish maybe eight minutes tops. Then again time would be a factor if you are interviewing eighty people for thirty student positions. More to come once I am notified one way or the other, afbc

Awesome topic! This has been a very rough week age-wise for me. (Forty five year old fat biker here) Tuesday morning, while I was out and about shopping for scrubs, I was chatting with an overly bubbly, Florida sunshine, "fresh out of high school" sales girl. Wonderful conversation for my ego until the very moment she laughed and said "You're funny like my grandpa!" I left.

Speaking not as a nurse, or even a professional in the healthcare field, but as someone who through the years, due to my alcoholism, has seen his fair share of legal issues, including multiple state funded vacations, loss of driving privileges, and other assorted inconveniences, I offer this advice: If a lawyer posted on LawyersRUs.com looking for advice on how to handle a significant MRSA infection in his neck, he would be told to go seek medical help asap. And if he chose, rather, to try and treat the infection himself by following medical advice he received on the legal forum, I imagine a large majority of nurses here would think he was an idiot. This is your career. You have a HUGE personal, professional and financial stake at risk. Stop looking for advice on the internet and GET A LAWYER before making any decisions. Best of luck to you. afbc

I have been invited to interview with the LPN admissions board when they meet in mid July. Recently, several of our local nurses in recovery (who are ALL huge cheerleaders of mine, :heartbeat Still not completely comfortable with all the expected questions though. When asked "Why I wanted to be a nurse?", my answer of "Marrying a cute doctor while getting to wear comfy scrubs all day!" apparently wasn't an acceptable answer. (The best part was the look on her face during the 45 seconds it took for her to realize I was kidding. lol) More to come after my interview! afbc

Phone call today!! Two hour interview/orientation mid-July with twenty other students. I have no idea if this means that I am accepted, considered as an alternate or still being looked at, but that is completely okay. I now have "the next right thing" in front of me to do, and for me personally, action, any action, is less stressful then waiting. I'm exceptionally grateful. This has been a fairly lengthy journey for me. Now, I am starting to feel that this may actually happen and all the persistence and hard work the past six months has paid off. Going back to school is starting to feel very real. Extremely psyched about moving into this really cool phase of my life, and I am eternally grateful to everyone around me who has cheered me on. I'm going to be a nurse!! afbc

YAY!!!!!!! (now we can all patiently wait for my interview letter to hopefully arrive)

No one on this forum can tell you with any certainty why you haven't heard from Rutgers yet. At most, maybe someone would be able to offer a bit of educated speculation about the selection process for their nursing program. You have done all you can do to this point. If you honestly believe that you have given this your best effort, then be satisfied with that, and let the cards fall where they will. You have no control over the outcome, and there is no point in torturing yourself worrying about a decision that is out of your hands. If it makes you feel any better though, your admissions credentials is very, very impressive (makes my admissions packet look a bit sad). Your commitment to nursing is very obvious. I wish for the best for you. Let us know the outcome, we're rooting for you! afbc

Oh gawd. My unofficial interview with the head of admissions for the two year RN program was interesting to say the least. I became nervous and volunteered quite a bit of information about my past, my recovery and why I wish to become a nurse. I think I actually covered every topic I wanted to avoid. Looking back over the conversation, I needed a friend present, with one of those electronic dog collars, periodically shocking me when I started talking too much (a cattle prod would have worked just as well). On a positive note, I am enrolled now for the prereqs, with a class schedule, and a student ID (my last student ID had a mullet, where did all my hair go?). I can only hope that by the time I finish the prereqs, the interview will be completely forgotten. The deadline for the one year LPN program packet submission is next week, hopefully the follow up interview will be smoother. Still weighing the pros and cons of both programs. Both have great reputations here in the local healthcare community, and I would be extremely fortunate to be admitted to either program. Both are extremely appealing to me. I'm just grateful that I have this opportunity. Thanks for the advice, afbc

I hope to be a CA RN with our local detox or rehab one day.

Hi! 15 years into sobriety, I have taken the first step (pun intended) and applied to two separate nearby nursing schools, a nine month LPN program and a two year RN program, here in Panama City. My test scores were solid. I also have several outstanding recommendations from local healthcare professionals, and an extensive history of volunteer work with the local detox and rehabs. Over the course of the next few weeks, I will be meeting academic advisers, counselors, and a selection committee. And I have questions concerning my past and how that might affect my future. I wanted honest opinions on how upfront and in depth about my past I should be. My bottom was extremely low - homelessness, mental illness, jail. While, I'm open about being a recovering alcoholic, I generally don't go into great detail about my past to people outside the rooms or recovery. "Why did you drop out of college?", "Why did you get out of the military?", "Have you ever had a DUI or similar conviction?", Any single question about my past and my alcoholism is out of the bag. Any follow up question only continues to reinforce the fact that, even though, I have 15 years of sobriety, I was and still am an alcoholic. While I consider my struggles with alcoholism and mental illness as one of the greatest assets I could possibly have as a nurse in the addiction/chemical dependency field, I understand others, not in recovery, may not view my experiences in the same light. I was curious what experiences others in recovery in the nursing community have had and if they had advice. Thanks everyone! afbc