advice for new methadone nurse.

[zoey88]

I will be starting a position in a methadone clinic shortly and would like some advice on how to adjust my schedule to the early morning shift (starting at 5:30am yikes!) as well as any tips and tricks experienced nurses can offer. Also I am a new grad and I do hope to eventually transition to the hospital so any advice related to that would be appreciated as well. Thanks

[psychRN27]

Yikes... I hope you are doing well... opiate addicts are a challenging population... even with almost a decade of work as a social worker in the community... I couldn't get a psych RN job right away and worked on a "rehab" facility... where 70% of patients had dementia. So I learned Geri psych fast.

I think the toughest part of any behavioral health nurse is getting hopeful that a patient is ready to make a change... and then seeing them high or drunk or in police logs a month later. When I have a dual diagnosis client with insight (no magic pill unfortunately)... I am quite blunt.. and tell them its up to them to make an effort... meds only go so far... they need to stop focusing on blaming others... "helping" others etc and get themselves sober and get their mental illness stable first.

[mmaibaue]

Don't worry about the early morning shift, you will adjust. You are in a much better place than the people you will be serving. Their lives have no routine, no order, no discipline. I am the parent of a recovering heroin addict and I pray everyday he will have the support and courage to continue on. Getting up in the morning will be the easiest part of your day, remember that. Because many of them do not wake up. My son has lost several "friends" and overdose as many. You will have one of the hardest nursing careers out there, but also the most rewarding when things work out. Addicts are very manipulative, so beware, be stern, but never stop caring, because they have mothers, fathers, siblings, children, husbands, wives, etc. And if they have come to your clinic they are seeking help, but that doesn't mean the road will be easy. Thank you for the accepting the journey you are about to embark. Myself and my son could not have made it this far without people like you to support and guide us.