I'm a current nursing student. I happened to see another student at a meeting once, and I've disclosed my past to my closest peer in the program. Other than that, no one knows, I haven't disclosed it to anyone else. My psych teachers speak pretty highly of recovery meetings and we were required to attend one for class.

As I'm sure you already know, the amount of drugs you're around depends on where you end up in nursing - doesn't have to be in a hospital. But I think you're right about working with narcotics making it a bit more challenging. I'd say as long as you don't have a history of relapsing, and you've been through some situations where you need painkillers and you haven't relapsed, then you should be good.

Make sure you have plenty of healthy coping skills under your belt, because you will need them to get through nursing school. I have a yoga practice, talk therapy, gym, and a sweet dog to walk and cuddle with. There are people in my life I can talk to when I'm stressed out, and that's important too.

Other than all that, you being a recovering heroin addict gives you a wonderfully rich experiential background, and you will be able to relate to and connect with certain patients more deeply than other nurses. You would be very appreciated in psych or rehab places, too.

Let me know if I can answer any other questions :)