This workshop will provide participants with the knowledge and skills they need to begin treating older Rachel Shuster and Jennifer Ritchey will be sharing their stories as nurses in recovery from substance use disorder and will provide insight on their journeys through various levels of care, self-help groups, and Pennsylvania’s Professional Health Monitoring Program.
Presenters
Jennifer Ritchey, RN, CARN, has been a Registered Nurse since 1996, beginning her career in ortho-trauma before discovering her passion for addiction nursing. She has worked in various roles in the SUD field ranging from Staff Nurse to Nurse Educator & Trainer to her current position as a Clinical Care Manager. She is a Certified Addictions Registered Nurse (CARN), a member of the International Nursing Society on Addictions (IntNSA), and the Pennsylvania Medical Reserve Corps (MRC).
Rachel A. Shuster, BSN, RN, CARN, CAAP is a Certified Addictions Registered Nurse (CARN) and a Certified Allied Addiction Professional (CAAP). After earning her Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) from Waynesburg University in 2012, she began her nursing career as a critical care nurse and taught nursing part-time as a clinical instructor before she transitioned to her current specialty of addictions nursing. Rachel has worked in a variety of settings including as the charge nurse of an outpatient office-based addiction treatment clinic and as the site nurse of a residential treatment program for young adults. She now works as an Addiction Treatment Specialist for Highmark Wholecare. Rachel is a person in long-term recovery from a substance use disorder and enjoys speaking publicly about her experience and journey as a healthcare professional in recovery.
