substance abuse nursing

[jennmariePR]

Do you do any type of counseling as a substance abuse nurse (with a BSN as an RN)?

[Whispera, MSN, RN]

I think you'd get more experience in substance abuse nursing in a CD unit connected within a psych facility, actually. Also, more psych experience. My opinion is that methadone clinic nursing is very limiting.

[jpRN84, BSN, RN]

I work in an inpatient detox/rehab, you would get plenty, plenty, plenty of psych nursing experience working in one.

[lilia123]

You guys were right, i went to interview at 2 methadone clinics and its an 'outpatient" facility..its not about interacting with psychiatric patients...was very curious about it, the interviews and the RN views here satisfied my curiosity...so ...will 'keep on keeping on' on my quest for a psychiatric Rn position...thanks to all

[nursestudent2009]

Hi, I'm a nursing student who will be starting school in the Fall (actually next week). I would like to work with rehab patients also. However, I am not too sure what courses I should take. I'm taking courses to become an RN.

I would like to

-Help and council patients who are addicted to drugs and /or alcohol

-Administer medicine and give shots

-Anything else that entails becoming a rehab nurse

Thank you for your input!

[Whispera, MSN, RN]

Your nursing course work will be rather laid-out for you, but as for electives and courses in which you can choose from a few options, choose psych and sociology courses, including abnormal psych. Interpersonal skills and group dynamics courses can be helpful too. If you school has a course on chemical dependency or addictions, it would be a good choice as well.

Lots of what you need to know you'd learn on the job, and you'll learn some in clinicals too.