starting job on alcohol unit

[ladybuglouRN]

Hi everyone! I was just offered a position on an alcohol rehab unit at a local hospital and I accepted it. I am a new grad and i figured it would be my foot in the door to a hospital but I am also hoping to really love this type of nursing. Anyone have any words of wisdom for the new grad on this kind of unit? It would be greatly appreciated!

[ImThatGuy, BSN, RN]

I'm going to chime in here. I'm in a BSN program as a career changer. I've worked for a good while now in law enforcement and have (or had) a very dim view of substance abuse and addicts. However, I had the option of doing a psych rotation in a chemical dependency unit (CDU). Now, having also worked part-time, in the past, as a paramedic I figured the most natural realm for me to work in would be the emergency department. I do like that, but I've got to say I really enjoyed the CDU. (I abhor med-surg.) It was unique because the detox patients, which are the only ones the nurses had anything to do with, were physically healthy for the most part and weren't whiney. Instead they seemed to enjoy having you around and liked shooting the bull with you. I rather enjoyed the experience. I was asked to come to work there, lol. I wouldn't mind either. A few of the nurses kind of exchanged shifts so they worked 16's which I thought was kind of neat too (lots of days off).