Addictions Nurse – Career and Education Profile

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Addictions nurses work with patients trying to overcome alcohol or drug abuse. You could work at a facilities specifically treating this type of patient or you could work at a more general facility, working to ensure patients are clean and do not get addicted to the pain and other medications they need.

Job Responsibilities

Addictions nurses concentrate on four different tasks, depending on their specific job title and daily duties: prevention, intervention, treatment, and addition management. Most commonly, nurses in this field work with patients dealing with alcohol and drug abuse, but you could also deal with patients who are suffering from other kinds of addiction-related problems, such as eating disorders and process-based addictions like gambling. If you are an RN, you’ll complete tasks such as recording vital signs, completing patient history interviews, and helping patients with personal hygiene. Addictions nurses also track progress, and at some facilities, you may do “room checks” to ensure that patients do not have contraband or help doctors prepare for therapy sessions.

Salary and Career Options

RNs are in high demand in all nursing niches, including addictions, and after you get your bachelor’s degree in nursing, you can also consider becoming a clinical nurse specialist or nurse practitioner in this field, which allows you to perform advanced tasks. The salary you can expect as an addictions nurse depends on your level of education and experience, but according to Simply Hired, addictions nurses make an average of $45,000 annually.

Educational Requirements

To become an RN, you need at least an associate’s degree, though some nurses opt to earn a bachelor’s degree or master’s degree in this field, which allows you to take classes specifically related to mental health or addictions. All nurses must complete clinical work at a healthcare facility, as well as get certified as a nurse with their state board. Your can also choose become a Certified Addictions Registered Nurse (CARN) or Certified Addictions Registered Nurse – Advanced Practice (CARN-AP) by completing additional education and passing a test by the International Nurses Society on Addictions.

LPN to RN College Programs

While several schools have online nursing degrees available, few offer LPN to RN programs. What's the good news? We have listed some accredited schools below that do offer the program in addition to schools with other bridge programs available. Find out more information and contact each school by using any of the links below.

Indiana State University—Indiana State University offers a robust online program designed for LPNs wanting to become registered nurses and earn their BSN degree. Since ISU's credits transfer to over 80 campus majors, this is an ideal program for people wanting to open opportunities for their career down the road.

The College Network—The College Network is a partnership with several universities and organizations like the National League for Nursing that focuses on online education and programs, with several courses for nurses or those interested in a nursing career. Specifically, TCN helps students prepare for their PN and RN licensures and move on to earn graduate degrees.

Other Nursing Degrees

Walden University—Walden University is typically a graduate school with several masters and doctoral programs available, but they do have BSN and RN to MSN bridge programs available. Walden is based out of Minneapolis and offers several options in transferring your previously earned credits to and from (or even within) the school.

Kaplan University—Kaplan University is one of the nation's largest and leading online educators and offers several bridge programs for registered nurses to earn their BSN or MSN degree. If you have previously earned credits, Kaplan makes it easy for you to transfer to any one of their undergraduate or graduate programs.

Herzing University—While Herzing University does not offer an undergraduate nursing degree, it is a great choice for working nurses wanting to pursue leadership positions in Nurse Education or Management. With over 10 campuses and 45 online programs available, Herzing has a massive network that makes it easy to transfer to or from the school.

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