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| No. 30 | 
Jun 28, 2004, 03:00 AM
Originally Posted by Blackcat99  Hi Nursecat
I don't think the nurses are being lazy. They are just being realistic. I have had so many inmates complain of chest pain. They are not pale they are not nauseated and they are not having any trouble breathing. Most of them are just "whiners"
who have heartburn or a need for attention. It costs money to do EKG's. Why waste money doing all these EKG's on inmates who are having heartburn? I am an LPN and as long as I report it to the RN I have done my job. Of course, when the DON is around then the EKG's have to be done. Welcome to correctional nursing:roll
It does not sound like nursing but it does sound like corrections. Unless you work in the facility in question you do not know do you? It might cost a few dollars to do a EKG but so what?
 | | No. 31 |
Jun 28, 2004, 03:13 AM
Originally Posted by probable cause "Most of them are just "whiners"
who have heartburn or a need for attention. It costs money to do EKG's. Why waste money doing all these EKG's on inmates who are having heartburn? I am an LPN and as long as I report it to the RN I have done my job."
Good attitude.
The best way to avoid a slip of the tongue in the witness box is not to get into the rather unprofessional habit of calling the patients 'whiners'.
| | No. 32 |
Jun 28, 2004, 03:28 AM
Originally Posted by Loving Life
I have investigated quite a few prison facilities over the years. I was constantly amazed at the depraved indifference I encountered. I hope your son does indeed get his life together.
I was delighted to read your post. It made me feel slightly better about posting to this forum. I was beginning to feel distinctly icky about some of the other posts I read.
| | No. 33 |
Jun 28, 2004, 03:43 AM
Originally Posted by Blackcat99 :chuckle Thanks probable cause. The taxpayers love nurses like me. Why waste the taxpayer's money on unnecessary EKG's? Why not use the taxpaper's money to pay for counseling that is needed by the "VICTIM'S" OF THE INMATES!!!!!
:roll
The inmates are sent to jail as punishment and not to be punished in addition to the prescribed sentence and the taxpayer is of course far better served by compliance with the laws of the United States of America.
The cost of an EKG is small change if it is to be expended by a regime dedicated to ethics, morality and legitimacy. The purpose of an EKG is to establish something with a greater reliability than merely guessing.
| | No. 34 |
Jun 28, 2004, 01:38 PM
Originally Posted by Moscow The inmates are sent to jail as punishment and not to be punished in addition to the prescribed sentence and the taxpayer is of course far better served by compliance with the laws of the United States of America.
The cost of an EKG is small change if it is to be expended by a regime dedicated to ethics, morality and legitimacy. The purpose of an EKG is to establish something with a greater reliability than merely guessing.
:chuckle Well my guess is if an inmate comes into medical laughing and joking with staff it probably means he is not having a heart attack. But I don't work corrections anymore so please feel free to waste all the taxpayers money. After all, we have to make sure that there is no money left over to help the innocent elderly who are often victims of these inmates. Yes let's spend all our tax money on the baby rapers. :hatparty:
| | No. 35 |
Jun 28, 2004, 05:26 PM
Originally Posted by nursecatnfl Hello everyone! I have a few concerns about the correctional facility I work at. First, the rns do not want to be bothered by me calling them concerning an inmates problem. If an inmate is complaining of chest pain the protocal in our facility is to have the inmate get an ekg. The rns are responsible to do this. Eventhough an inmate may have heart burn, the protocal is for the rn to do an ekg. The rns continuously push the lpns to restate in the encounter forms what the inmate actually states. For example... Inmate c/o chest pain. Rn says restate as chest discomfort to avoid the inmate causing the rn to do an ekg. I'm really sick of jeopardizing my liscense for their laziness. Are the rns like this at most correctional facilities? I work nights so it could be night shift rns. The day shift rns where I work don't have a problem with seeing an inmate. Maybe cause the don is still in the building. My second concern is the cleanliness at the jail. The inmates clean their own cells. This is not done on a regular basis. Toilets aren't clean regularly, floors are used from cell to cell with same mop water. The inmates are always getting skin infections. The inmates always think "spider bite", but rarely is one bitten by a spider. The inmates say we have the worst facility in florida. Some of you out there may know where I work. Anyways I'm just wandering does any facility out there gets sanitized. Well I guess I can post my other concerns later. Theres just too much to list. Thanks to all for reading.
First I have to say what a bummer for you. When I worked corrections I ran the EKG myself.
After that I have to say finish the assessment and then verify is it pain or discomfort. Don't change what you wrote to start with but add to it that when inmate was asked to describe the pain.... and end with discomfort even if you have to feed the word to them. Just get it from them!
They'll come in with C/O all sorts of things that they know will get them out of whatever it is they are supposed to do.
I worked in the Fla system. It's amazing how many inmates were allergic to the mallaluka tree (inmates go on cutting/trimming detail) and come to clinic call for a statement the day before they were scheduled to go on detail until we started sending them out for allergy testing. Well, the shakles and allergy testing to verify the allergy reduced the number of inmates allergic in less than 6 weeks! It was a miracle! LOL
Point is, sometimes, all to often actually, they don't have anything else to do. One guy came in with chest pains and insisted on an EKG, I did the EKG then called the hospital for a consult (televised) held that inmate up for 4 hours when the only thing it turns out he was trying to do is get out of a 2 hr lock down.
| | No. 36 |
Jun 29, 2004, 08:32 AM
 In corrections for thirteen years Originally Posted by littlebitt I am a nursing student and I was SHOCKED when I read your statements.
Are inmates not human? As I said I am a student, therefore I have not witnessed what working as a nurse in a correctional facility is like but I am saddened to think that a nurse (who's job is to provide care to the best of her ability) would avoid giving someone medical attention based on the thought that the majority of inmates "fake it". This may even be true, but I think it should ALWAYS be investigated.
Sorry to be your eye opener but at least 50% of Inmates are probably one level below the human race.I know I'll catch some flack for this statement but "before you acuse, criticize and accuse,walk a mile in my shoes":stone
| | No. 37 |
Jun 29, 2004, 01:26 PM
Originally Posted by Dixiecup Sorry to be your eye opener but at least 50% of Inmates are probably one level below the human race.I know I'll catch some flack for this statement but "before you acuse, criticize and accuse,walk a mile in my shoes":stone
:chuckle You're absolutely right Dixiecup! Thanks for telling it like it is. :hatparty: :hatparty: :hatparty:
| | No. 38 |
Jun 29, 2004, 07:00 PM
Originally Posted by Dixiecup Sorry to be your eye opener but at least 50% of Inmates are probably one level below the human race.I know I'll catch some flack for this statement but "before you acuse, criticize and accuse,walk a mile in my shoes":stone
hehehe I didn't have the guts to say it here there are so many liberal minded persons who think the inmates need help to reform. LOL For those who don't know, the get a number when entered into the system. Each subsiquent (spelling...again?) entrance adds a letter to the number. Like 234567 first time in, then A234567 next time, then B234... and so on.
Three of us did physicals on these guys, probably averaged 100 a day. We hardly ever saw an inmate without a letter. These people are not, IMHO, worth the time of day, they are a huge drain on society and we just keep on supporting them between crimes!
Oh I best shut up now before I end up on the short end of the string around here again.
| | No. 39 |
Jun 30, 2004, 12:59 AM
hello! technically i'm not even a nursing student yet, as i don't begin college until august. but, i have spent time as a patient in hospitals.... with "evil" nurses like many of those who posted to this thread. and while my experience is limited to personal and caring for injured, sick, and elderly grandparents and aunts.... i doubt that once i enter the real work force will my opinions change.
not to over generalize... it seems to me that many of the responders to this post are themselves complaining. if you see these patients, and yes.. the fact that they are criminals doesn't mean they aren't patients, as a "burden" and "sub human", etc... then why, why are you working in a prison?? if they are useless, then why not go work with people you deem far more worthy? like say, burns? or ER? i have encountered several nurses like the ones, and i don't mean all, that posted here. it's shocking, and sad. do the job you signed on to do. that is what i plan to do. honestly, judge not lest we be judged. and furthermore, the concept of a nurse is a person who is caring enough to handle patients. but the majority of what i see here is resentment. provide the health care. it is needed. a kind face may do a person some good for the long run..... but, yes. some poor people are beyond help and repair. but they are God's problem, not ours. so... just take care of them.
and... as far as clenliness goes... well. a prison should maintain the utmost sanitizing. i mean, close contact with any and every body. i mean they are still human. like what they did or not.... they deserve decency and not to live in filth. think of it this way.... if the inmates who live in the prison are getting sick for lack of adequate cleaning, what is happening to the medical staff that has to treat these patients on a daily basis? oh.... and as a tax payer (yeah, i'm 18 but when i sold AVON i still had to pay my taxes.... i am more than happy to pay the cost that may or may not save a life. why take the chance? sure, lower my dimes that's great... but not at the expence of someone's health care.) |
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