Addiction Nursing – Salvaging the Good

They wanted to quit. They couldn’t. They tried, dear God, they tried so hard to quit, but the withdrawal symptoms broke them, like a visit to hell.

They needed therapy, professional help that might have saved them. But they didn’t find it. So they self-medicated, they used drugs to try to fill the holes in their beings, to fill the unfillable voids that ever-widened, and finally consumed them without mercy.

And so they went to their deaths, slaves to the addiction, loyal to their addiction to the very end, while we watched helplessly.

Oh, yes, we tried to help, but anything we tried only seemed to make it worse. They moved ever away from us. We failed, we didn’t know how.

Every one of us has seen a wonderful friend or family member, or other loved one, doomed by an addiction. Due to the tolerance that builds up, their drug of choice takes over every aspect of their life— demanding ever higher and more lethal doses to get the past high.

Could anyone have helped? Anyone at all?

The answer is YES. An addiction specialist— a Registered Nurse trained in addiction medicine.

Many addictions nurses, like Sally (not her real name), dedicate themselves to helping addicts salvage their lives.

Why did they choose this path of life? Some were driven by the loss of a loved one in their own lives— like Sally’s beloved brother, lost to addiction.

Addictions nurses care for patients seeking help with alcohol, drug, tobacco, and other addictions. These nurses like Sally earn their degrees in order to battle the major addictions.

And it is useful now, to take a look at the horribly familiar roll-call of addictions–

• Nicotine: the toxic effects of this addiction has been known to ruin many lives. Nicotine addicts, mostly smokers, will defend their addiction as a stress-reliever. Addiction specialists know that the nicotine (like other addictive drugs) creates its own anxiety, which drives the user to continually intake nicotine (in whatever form).
• Heroin is a very dangerous drug that even high school kids snort, inject or smoke. Often the result is convulsions and death.
• “Speed” (amphetamine family)… cocaine became a common, almost household drug before we even crossed into the 20th century and was spoken about in the days of Freud as well as during World War I.. Now we have cheaper more deadly-potent street synthetics, Ice, Crystal, Crank, Crack, etc etc. many addicts state that they were addicted “with the first hit.”
• Alcohol: The legal drug that destroys so many lives. We all know about this one. It kills in so many ways.
• Food: Gluttony has overtaken us. For the first time in human history, more people are obese than starving. And the diseases of obesity hit harder in many cases than the results of any other drug addiction. Diabetes, heart disease, crippling diseases, seen n ow even in young obese children. And in the tragic obese “sugar babies” born to obese mothers.

Addictions nurses are trained to help addicts. Sound simple? NOT!

Addictions nurses treat patients, educate patients and the public about various medical conditions— and provide advice and emotional support to patients’ family members.

They teach patients and their families how to manage their addictions, and they work to promote clean lives. These dedicated nurses fight addictions by educating the public on warning signs and symptoms of addictions.

RNs also might run public seminars on various conditions associated with all the tragedies of addiction, including family intervention and support.

Such RNs (with advanced educational preparation and training) may perform diagnostic and therapeutic procedures, and may even have prescriptive authority.

There are three typical educational paths to registered nursing—a bachelor’s of science degree in nursing (BSN), an associate degree in nursing (ADN), and a diploma.

BSN programs, offered by colleges and universities, take about 4 years to complete.

ADN programs, offered by community and junior colleges, take about 2 to 3 years to complete.

Diploma programs, administered in hospitals, last about 3 years. Generally, licensed graduates of any of the three types of educational programs qualify for entry-level positions as a staff nurse.

There are hundreds of registered nursing programs that result in an ADN or BSN; however, there are relatively few diploma programs.

There are education programs available for people interested in switching to a career in nursing as well. Individuals who already hold a bachelor’s degree in another field may enroll in an accelerated BSN program.

Accelerated BSN programs last 12 to 18 months and provide the fastest route to a BSN for individuals who already hold a degree. MSN programs also are available for individuals who hold a bachelor’s or higher degree in another field; master’s degree programs usually last 2 years.

All four types of advanced practice nurses require at least a master’s degree. In addition, all States specifically define requirements for registered nurses in advanced practice roles. Advanced practice nurses may prescribe medicine, but the authority to prescribe varies by State. Contact your State’s board of nursing for specific regulations regarding advanced practice nurses.

Overall employment of all registered nurses is expected to grow by 22 percent from 2008 to 2018, much faster than the average for all occupations. Growth will be driven by technological advances in patient care, which permit a greater number of health problems to be treated, and by an increasing emphasis on preventive care. In addition, the number of older people, who are much more likely than younger people to need nursing care, is projected to grow rapidly.

Employers in some parts of the country and in certain employment settings report difficulty in attracting and retaining an adequate number of RNs, primarily because of an aging RN workforce and a lack of younger workers to fill positions. Qualified applicants to nursing schools are being turned away because of a shortage of nursing faculty.

The need for nursing faculty will only increase as many instructors near retirement. Despite the slower employment growth in hospitals, job opportunities should still be excellent because of the relatively high turnover of hospital nurses.

To attract and retain qualified nurses, hospitals may offer signing bonuses, family-friendly work schedules, or subsidized training.

Median annual wages of registered nurses were $62,450 in May 2008. The middle 50 percent earned between $51,640 and $76,570. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $43,410, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $92,240.

Has addiction impacted you and your loved ones? Do you feel driven to dedicate your life to salvaging the good in the victims of addiction?

With our society fraying at all levels, with so many jobless and addicted and mentally ill, becoming addicts, self-medicating, self-destroying.

Addiction is a rapidly enlarging social dilemma. Addiction nurses will be needed in exponential demand.

Earn your R.N. Study addictive medicine, and join the fight!

For information on a career as a registered nurse and nursing education, contact:

• National League for Nursing, 61 Broadway, 33rd Floor, New York, NY 10006. http://www.nln.org

For information on baccalaureate and graduate nursing education, nursing career options, and financial aid, contact:

• American Association of Colleges of Nursing, 1 Dupont Circle NW., Suite 530, Washington, DC 20036. http://www.aacn.nche.edu

For additional information on registered nurses, including credentialing, contact:

• American Nurses Association, 8515 Georgia Ave., Suite 400, Silver Spring, MD 20910. http://nursingworld.org

For information on the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-RN) and a list of individual State boards of nursing, contact:

• National Council of State Boards of Nursing, 111 E. Wacker Dr., Suite 2900, Chicago, IL 60601. http://www.ncsbn.org

For a list of accredited clinical nurse specialist programs, contact:

• National Association of Clinical Nurse Specialists, 2090 Linglestown Rd., Suite 107, Harrisburg, PA 17110. http://www.nacns.org

For information on nurse anesthetists, including a list of accredited programs, contact:

• American Association of Nurse Anesthetists, 222 S. Prospect Ave., Park Ridge, IL 60068. http://www.aana.com/

For information on nurse-midwives, including a list of accredited programs, contact:

• American College of Nurse-Midwives, 8403 Colesville Rd., Suite 1550, Silver Spring, MD 20910. http://www.midwife.org

For information on nurse practitioners, including a list of accredited programs, contact:

• American Academy of Nurse Practitioners, P.O. Box 12846, Austin, TX 78711. http://www.aanp.org

For additional information on registered nurses in all fields and specialties, contact:

• American Society of Registered Nurses, 1001 Bridgeway, Suite 233, Sausalito, CA 94965. http://www.asrn.org

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