Anyone familiar with Methadone Clinic hiring?

Published Jan 21, 2016

1 Post

Hello nurses and thank you for being here.

I'm seeking advice and I hope that some of your experiences and wisdom can help me.

I know time is valuable so I'm going to keep the history short but if anyone wants more information about my work history, I'll be happy to answer.

I was a home-birth student for a year in the mid 1990's and then decided to attend nursing school. I earned my associates and worked in labor and delivery for about a year. I then worked in mother/baby for a bit but basically, I have a somewhat spotty work history and only have experience in women's health. This was due to several external issues (I am an only child and was a single parent during this time and family obligations caused me to have to 'job hop'--long story).

So, I left nursing in 2005. Got married, became a 'trailing spouse', had a baby, moved several times etc...

Now it has been ten years since I worked as a nurse. I know my skills are outdated for most areas.

I tried to go back to school for the rn-bsn program and I was accepted, I have very good grades etc. I just have no money to pay for college and so I couldn't finish the program. I would apply for scholarships BUT, it looks like yet another move may be on the horizon and I don't want to start school and have to transfer and start over again...

So, for now I am stuck. I just want to go back to work, doing something that gives my life purpose and makes me feel like I am making the world a better place for others as well as helping my own family financially.

I realize that my options are VERY limited! Painfully limited.

There is one requirement that I have from a position, just one. That I feel capable of doing the job. I take the health of others seriously and I do not want to feel like I am 'in over my head' and doing things I have no business doing.

I'm willing to take the jobs no one seems to want because I realize I have to pay my dues for the time I did not earn money (although I worked my butt off during the last decade! I just did not make any money).

My first choice/thought is to try to work at a methadone clinic in an LPN position (even though I hold an active RN license). I love the idea of working in a methadone clinic because of two reasons;

~ I have watched a friend lose their son to addiction and it is heartbreaking beyond belief. I would like to try to help some others, in whatever way I can.

~ I feel fully capable of this work. I have strong boundaries, deal well with diverse populations, can handle the mental health issues well that some patients have, cannot be lied to easily, have GREAT compassion for this population as I understand NO one wanted to become an addict and everyone has a story of how they arrived there...but most important, I understand the medications utilized very well.

I'm wondering if anyone has experience working in a methadone clinic, specifically, if I have a chance in Hades of being hired with such a huge gap in my resume. I'm afraid to even apply until I seek advice and I have been reading all I can on what it is like to work in this environment.

I know that they hire new grads but I don't even have that status. I do have recent college classes, 4 nursing and 4 non-nursing classes that I earned all A's in. Would this help to put on my resume?

Also, the BIG methadone clinic in my area has an automated online application. Does anyone know if it may be better to just walk into the local clinic (which does have an opening for a nurse) and speak with the manager? I'm afraid of that online application because what do I list for recent employers?

Unemployment does a number on your self-esteem. I'm seeing a therapist to work on that and to explore other career options (but I'm in my 40's now so they are somewhat limited due to age and money). My first choice would be to use my nursing education to help others. There may be other careers I could find my way into but none that I feel would be as personally rewarding.

Any advice on getting hired at a methadone clinic? Interview questions? Anything?

Again, I am doing research on the latest evidence based practice, I am reading up on all the medications (only a few to look into), assessment skills etc. What I can't find any information on though is,

Would someone be likely to give me a chance?

Thank you all for your wisdom and time reading this. It means a lot to me to have somewhere to go and ask questions and it makes me feel so much less alone that your all out there in the cyber world...

FireDoor