Want to specialize - Should RN become substance abuse counselor?

[tuttle13]

I am a RN for 2 years now, and I want to specialize in pysch/addictions nursing and eventually get my CARN. My problem is that facilities only want experience, but you can't get experience if no one will hire. I have been working on a med/surg rehab unit where I care for as many as 20 patients. I also deal with a lot of Alzheimer's patients, as well as many pysch patients and substance abusers who end up on my unit with medical issues. Unfortunately employers do not view that as "pych/addictions" experience. I had to start my career in LTC/med/surg due to the lack of nursing jobs for new grads in my area due to the economy, and now I want to get back on track as to why I became a nurse 2 years ago. I was wondering if it would be helpful to get certified as a substance abuse counselor in order to get into this field. Are there any other RNs who are also certified as counselors, and does it help to get a job? I have looked into taking some classes specifically for RNs for psych nursing or addictions nursing but there are none that I can see. I had my typical semester of pych clinicals in nursing school, but so has everyone. Any advice would be appreciated.

[morecoffeepls, BSN, RN]

I'm wondering if CARN certification is something I should consider now that I am aware that it exists. I was hired out of nursing school as the (only/charge) nurse on nights on an inpatient psychiatric unit and we get a lot of detox patients. I recently became ANCC certified for Psych-MH and will obtain my BSN and have been a nurse for about 3 years at the end of the year. Should I get certified in Addictions? I have no idea what my future plans are, except that I'll probably end up going back to school once I've recovered from my current program. I know it can't hurt, but can it truly help? I'm in CT also, BTW.

[Whispera, MSN, RN]

If you became CARN-certified, it might help you get a job in a place that requires that certification. I doubt it would help you on-the-job in a generic psych nursing job. It wouldn't lead to greater pay. I worked with two CARNs in the past. They didn't do anything differently than I did for our patients on a combined psych/CD unit. They knew their stuff, but that could be because they had years of experience.

I bet you're learning lots on the job that will make you a super CD nurse anyway. Does the CARN require courses? Time on the job in CD, specifically?

Consider how tough and time-and-energy-consuming the requirements are, and how much money it costs to get the certification. Is it worth it to you if all it gets you is personal satisfaction for a goal-accomplished?