Amanda Lee became a nurse in spite of her past! Support for second chances!

 Amanda Lee, RN posted this on Facebook on February 5, 2026.

"Half of this photo represents who I am today.
The other half represents who I once was.

There was a time when my face was posted online as Most Wanted.
Active addiction. Mental illness. Homeless. On the run. Jail, psych wards, detoxes. I truly believed my life was over before it ever started.

Fast-forward to nursing school.

What most people don’t know is that I went through all of nursing school not knowing if I’d even be allowed to sit for the NCLEX. There was no guarantee. No safety net. Just hope, hard work, and faith.

After graduating, I had to submit a packet to the Board of Nursing that was literally about an inch thick:
• court closure documents
• proof of completed probation
• letters of recommendation
• personal statements
• documentation of years of recovery
• evidence that my life looked nothing like it once did

Then I waited.

For months.

While my classmates scheduled and took their NCLEX, I waited. I watched. I prayed. I wondered if everything I worked for could be taken away with one “no.”

Eventually, I got the answer.

Yes.

Not only was I allowed to take the NCLEX — I passed.
Not only did I become a nurse — I’ve gone on to travel nurse, advocate for patients, earn recognition, and build a career I once thought was impossible.

Today, my life looks completely different:
 Married to an incredible man
 Over a decade sober
 Travel nurse
 Homeowner
 Pardoned by the state
 Restored relationships
 A life filled with peace, purpose, and joy

This photo isn’t shock value.
It’s proof of transformation.

I share this because people deserve to know:
• Your past does not automatically disqualify you
• Recovery is real
• Transparency matters
• The Board cares about who you are now
• And it IS possible to come back from what feels like the end

If you’re navigating nursing school with a record, recovery, or fear about the Board — ask me questions.
If you’re in the middle of rebuilding your life — you’re not alone.
If you feel written off — so was I.

And if this photo makes you uncomfortable?
Good. Growth usually does.

Recovery didn’t just save my life.
It gave me one worth living."  

https://www.facebook.com/alabamaamanda

Cheers!

Donna

Army combat medic fought mental health issues on return from Iraq and moved forward to become a nurse

                                     

"While deployed in Bagdad, Iraq, as an Army combat medic during Operation Iraqi Freedom, Sgt. David Fields was known as “doc.” He cherishes that title as a badge of honor."

Years later, “My sponsor asked me when I felt the happiest in my life. It turns out that it was when I was in Iraq as a combat medic,” Fields says.

After going to the Veterans Administration, Fields secured Veteran Readiness and Employment benefits designed to retrain military personnel and help them access employment and educational opportunities. He took aptitude tests that confirmed that he was best suited for nursing.

On the cusp of graduating with a bachelor’s degree in nursing with a minor in gerontology, Fields is hoping to establish the same rapport he had with military service members with a different population – the elderly. He is this year’s recipient of RIC’s Harold Sweet Award, which recognizes outstanding contributions and excellence in the study of aging. 

Less than one percent of registered nurses are certified in geriatrics, according to the American Geriatric Society, so Fields’ presence will help to fill a major void.

“I feel like I have a special knack with senior citizens,” says Fields, now age 43. “I have a close relationship with the elderly women in my family, especially my nana, who is in her 80s now. I strive to treat people the way I treat her. I have the care and capacity to make a difference in geriatrics, and I want to do so as a nurse practitioner in geriatrics mental health.”

Read more at: 

https://our.ric.edu/news-events/news/meet-our-graduates-former-combat-medic-earns-degree-nursing-work-elderly

Cheers!

Donna