News

A serious hip injury threatened to derail Hannah Adams’ dreams of becoming a nurse. Instead, it became the defining moment in her nursing journey.

“I thought I was going to have to withdraw from nursing school,” Adams said. “But I said, ‘no I really want to do this.'”

Just days after her hip surgery, Adams was back on Galen College of Nursing’s Roanoke campus to finish her penultimate term, take her finals, and continue to her final classes before graduation. Even though she had to use a walker, then crutches, and a cane, to get around campus, she never let it get in the way of achieving her goal.

Adams’ story is one of incredible perseverance, determination, and finding your balance in life.

Adams’ career in healthcare didn’t begin at the bedside.

Before becoming a patient care technician, and long before stepping into her role as a registered nurse, Hannah worked as a housekeeper at the same hospital where she works today, LewisGale Hospital Montgomery, a HCA Healthcare facility.

“I got to see the nurses and the PCTs and it inspired me to give it a shot myself,” Adams said.

She next stepped into a Patient Care Technician role, and after years working on a med-surg floor and then in the ER and watching RNs caring for patients around her, she dreamed of becoming a nurse.

The HCA Healthcare Future Nurses Program made it possible, and provided her and others with a scholarship to level up their careers.

“I don’t think I could have been a nurse without it,” Adams said.

While attending Galen, Adams continued working full time to support herself, commuting long distances for classes and clinicals. To manage stress, she turned to yoga, a practice that helped her slow down and stay present.

Eventually, she began leading yoga sessions on campus for students and faculty, offering a space to de-stress and recharge.

“It role models self-care,” said Kimberly Brown, DNP, RN, CNE, Dean of Galen College of Nursing–Roanoke. “Hannah made herself a priority, and that contributed to her success.”

After months of excruciating hip pain – initially misdiagnosed as a pinched nerve – Adams was able to get an MRI. It showed she had a complete femoral fracture. She underwent immediate surgery and had 3 screws inserted into her hip. It was a shock that led to anxiety about what would happen next in her nursing journey.

Galen’s Roanoke leadership discussed the options available to Adams, including the possibility of taking a term off to heal and repeating the term once she felt better.

“My surgeon said I could go to campus as long as I didn’t drive, so I got to take my finals and I didn’t have to repeat the term,” Adams said. “I was stubborn, that’s for sure.”

After finishing her term, Adams continued her education and completed her ADN in September 2025, achieving her dream of becoming a nurse. She then passed the NCLEX-RN test on her first attempt.

“She was committed to finishing the program and becoming the best nurse she could be,” Galen Roanoke faculty member Joseph Grisetti, MSN, RN, said. “She was so determined, no was not going to be an answer for her. None of that was going to be an option. Resilience is not a strong enough word. It was awe inspiring.”

As of February 2026, Adams is making her way through her orientation period as a registered nurse at LewisGale Hospital Montgomery, working in the ER. She’s walking the same halls where she once was pushing the janitorial cart, only now her ID badge says RN on it.

After years of balancing work, school, financial strain, and recovery from a serious injury, this moment represents more than a career milestone. It’s the culmination of persistence, sacrifice, and support, something which she is filled with humility and gratitude.

“I am just grateful. That’s all I can say about it,” Adams said. “Grateful for the opportunity to be the person for someone else who might be struggling who might need resilience. As a nurse, I might get the opportunity to meet people who I might normally never cross paths with, and I get to hold their hand through potentially the scariest day of their life. That’s such an honor and makes all the difficult parts worth it.”

As Hannah’s story shows, with hard work, determination, and resilience, you too can achieve your dreams in becoming a nurse. Galen wants to you achieve your goals. Check out our 12-month practical nursing diploma, our two-year ADN, and our 3-year bachelor’s of science in nursing degree options for those looking to enter the nursing field. Get started today!