In honor of Nurses Week 2026, this moving episode of Healing Tapestry features nurse Ruth sharing her transformative journey through polysubstance use disorder and recovery.

Ruth opens up about the "spiritually transforming" moment she lost her job, reframing a professional rock bottom as a vital new beginning. We dive into the barriers that keep nurses from seeking help and the resilience required to rebuild an identity beyond the license.

This episode includes:

• Resilient Hope: Ruth’s current mission of giving back through the Nurses Peer Support Network (NPSN).
• The Mask of Strength: Overcoming the "triple stigma" and the fear of vulnerability in nursing.
• Navigating Recovery: Ruth’s firsthand experience with professional monitoring programs and boards of nursing.
• Identity & Boundaries: Learning that your career doesn’t define you and how "self-sustainable care" creates a better clinician.

This episode is proudly sponsored by Tennessee Professional Assistance Program ~ TNPAP.

What does it look like to transition from a student to a new grad while carrying a decade of personal growth? This week, we sit down with the remarkable Sammie Jo. Having faced mental health challenges since her early teens, Sammie Jo brings a "full-self" approach to her nursing identity that is both inspiring and necessary in today’s healthcare climate.

• In this episode, we discuss: The Transition: Moving from the classroom to the floor as a new grad.
• The Network: Why a strong support system is a non-negotiable for nurses.
• The Identity: How Sammie Jo uses her personal journey to fuel her professional passion.
• The Joy: A look into her life outside the hospital (hint: there are a lot of Boxers involved!).

In this moving first episode of Healing Tapestry, Dr. April Lenzmeier shares her deeply personal story of alcohol use disorder, recovery, and returning to nursing with renewed purpose. April reflects on childhood trauma, nursing culture, relapse, and the healing power of peer support. Hosted by nurses Kristin and Jenny—who also share their own recovery journeys—this conversation breaks the silence around substance use in nursing and offers hope and resources to anyone walking a similar path.

For more information & to access the resources mentioned, visit: https://unlikelyaddict.com/healing-tapestry/