Addiction’s Nurse

[QuietBatperson15]

Im considering applying for the role of an addictions nurse and wondered if any mumsnetters out there do this job or have previously done, and could maybe give a bit of insight into role? What is your day to day like?

I don’t have any relevant experience to go off of unfortunately , only elderly ward experience.

I worked in addictions; both inpatient & community. I loved it & would go back in a heartbeat. The only thing I found difficult was in England (Wales is primarily NHS services), most substance use services are run by third sector charities. So they are commissioned services so there can be job amalgamation , TUPE etc. There’s also the fear that your job is at risk at the end of a tender although this is less likely for nursing staff.

As they’re charities, they don’t tend to pay as well as NHS either. If some staff have been TUPEd over from NHS they keep their banding so will probably be paid more than an equivalent who is employed by the charity. That’s a cause of resentment. I was a nurse manager but was paid about £8k less than those band 6 nurses who came over from NHS.

The drug / alcohol workers tend to be unqualified staff & nurses tend to offer more specialist work such as home detox, ecg, vaccinations, blood testing, health monitoring, outreach clinics such as offering services to homeless etc.

I really did love it. I’m doing the NMP at the moment so thinking that I might go back & look at a prescribing role.

Thank you so much for your reply, that’s really helpful. Im glad you had a positive experience working in this area!

The post im looking at is directly with the NHS. I wonder if the nursing role will be similar to the skills you have listed, I would be very keen to get more practice in these.

Ps good luck with your prescribing role and I hope it leads you to your dream job 🙂

If it’s NHS then I’d probably apply if I were you!