08/26/24
Skills Training completer beats the odds to return to healthcare
Gadsden, Ala. – Nicole Wilson is a dedicated mother who spent over two decades navigating the complexities of the healthcare field and serving honorably in the U.S. Navy. Earlier this month, she added to her resume when she earned credentials in phlebotomy and medication assistant from Gadsden State Community College’s Skills Training Division.
“I’m excited to do what I love to do and do it well,” she said. “I’m thrilled to be a healthcare provider.”
As a child, Wilson traveled extensively with her family while her father served in the U.S. Air Force. They lived in Guam, Germany, California, Arkansas, Florida and Mississippi. She attended eighth grade in an Austrian boarding school.
In 1990, she enrolled in Weaver High School after the family moved to Calhoun County for her father to work at the Anniston Army Depot.
In 1991, she earned her high school diploma at the age of 16. She joined a pilot program at Job Corps in Gadsden until she turned 18 and was of age to join the U.S. Navy. Wilson spent four years in the military and was stationed in Alaska and Washington.
In 2000, she became a certified nursing assistant receiving on-the-job training at Jacksonville Health and Rehabilitation. She then worked at various rehabilitation centers and hospitals for the next 22 years. For seven of those years, Wilson worked as a travel CNA in Montana, New Mexico, Hawaii and Alaska.
Between 2020 and 2023, she faced an emotionally and physically grueling period of personal trials. In September 2020, her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer, thrusting Wilson into a new role of caregiver while continuing to manage the demands of her own job as a psychiatric technician and office coordinator at Riverview Regional Medical Center. Three months later, she grappled with the profound loss of her father, Ricky J. Wilson Sr., who suddenly passed away before Christmas.
“I was devastated,” she said. “He was a man of integrity; a man who believed in hard work. I got that from him. I learned a lot from him.”
Adding to the weight of her challenges, Wilson herself experienced a serious healthcare issue in November 2022, when she underwent exploratory surgery to determine the cause of her inability to retain nutrition through food. The expected 45-minute surgery instead spanned six hours. Doctors discovered that the cause was a result of gastric bypass surgery she had in 2016. The gastric pouch was herniated into her diaphragm and weakened her esophagus.
“I was in the hospital for a total of 38 days,” she said. “I almost died twice. I was so sick.”
Due to the surgery and physical limitations, Wilson said she needed to find a new occupation.
“I couldn’t push, pull or tug anymore,” she said. “I couldn’t sit at a desk and assist patients. I couldn’t be hands-on because I was constantly sick. I couldn’t be productive and provide quality work.”
In 2023, a specialist at the University of Alabama at Birmingham Hospital realized that the Y-junction of the gastric bypass was dumping excrement into her body, which caused continued illness. It was corrected in July 2023.
“Instead of being the caregiver, I had to be cared for,” she said. “My parents raised me to be strong and independent. I wasn’t giving up. My mom always says, ‘if you can’t reach the stars, go for the moon.’
“To not work has been foreign to me,” she said. “I spent two years without work, and I was depressed. I couldn’t sit there and not do anything.”
Her long-term disability expired, so she turned to Britney Knox at the Department of Human Resources in Calhoun County to help her find a job she could physically perform. She joined the A-Reset Program, which is designed for Calhoun County residents who were previously in the workforce and had a desire to return.
“I have a lot of skills, but I can’t do them anymore,” she said. “I love taking care of people. It’s my passion. I wanted to go back into healthcare. I didn’t want to just exist.”
Wilson found out about the Skills Training programs offered at Gadsden State. She was most interested in phlebotomy and medication assistant.
“I wanted to increase my skillset and stay in healthcare without the physical aspect,” she said.
Wilson applied for two Paths for Success Scholarships, which paid for tuition. Interfaith Ministries purchased her uniforms and paid the fees for her background and drug checks, her watch, the phlebotomy certification exam and the state exam for medication assistant.
“I can’t believe how incredibly supportive everyone has been,” she said. “I’m blessed.”
When Wilson started the classes at Gadsden State, she quickly realized she was the oldest student.
“I was in classes with children younger than my own,” she said. “Many of them were still in high school. I had not been in school since 1991. I knew it was going to be hard. Sometimes I wanted to wave the white flag and give up. I’m so glad I didn’t.”
Wilson excelled in phlebotomy, maintained an A in her classes and completed clinicals at RMC in Anniston.
“The medication assistant program was intense,” she said. “We’d do three chapters a day. We went through a lot of information. It was tough but a great experience.”
She said the instructors went above and beyond providing training.
“They did everything they could to make sure everyone was successful,” she said. “They worked with our strengths and built on them. We had a wonderful journey with them.”
On Aug. 6, Wilson delivered the invocation during the pinning ceremony for the Skills Training completers. This milestone not only represents a personal triumph but also underscores the power of education within her family — her mother Jeannette and children Alex and Alexis also proudly attended Gadsden State.
Jeannette, who is in remission, attended Gadsden State in 1971 prior to getting married. She said she has enjoyed watching her daughter excel as a college student.
“Nicole decided that it was important to her to continue in healthcare,” she said. “She wants to contribute and provide top-notch care for others. I have watched her bloom. She was a tender rose but she opens up a little bit every day. This was a burst for her.”
Nicole’s son, Alex Wilson, earned an associate degree in 2018 at Gadsden State, where he was a member of the Show Band and Acapella Choir. He went on to earn a bachelor’s degree at the University of Montevallo and a Doctorate in Music from the University of Colorado. He currently teaches music for the Birmingham City Schools.
“I’m very proud of my mother,” he said. “Taking college courses was something completely new to her. I was so amazed about her perseverance. I knew she’d be good in college because of her life experiences. I’m so proud that she was able to stick to it and excel. It’s a great feeling to see my mother succeed.”
In 2016, her daughter, Alexis Wilson, earned an associate degree at Gadsden State, where she attended the Ayers and McClellan campuses on an ambassador scholarship. She currently works as assistant manager for an apartment complex in Oxford and is enrolled in a pharmacy technician program at another institution.
“My mother was motivated to complete her studies,” she said. “I watched her study until 3 a.m. I watched her enjoy her classes. She was motivational to me. I was about to give up but I kept going because if my mom can do it, I can, too. I saw her grow as a student. I’m so proud of her.”
For more information about the Skills Training Division, visit www.GadsdenState.edu/Skills-Training.
Nicole Wilson earned credentials in phlebotomy and medication assistant from Gadsden State Community College’s Skills Training Division.