Correctional nursing career

[Natasha A., CNA, LVN]

Hii, I may have a possible interview for a cna position to work at state prison. I never worked in a prison and looking forward for a career growth from psych rehab. I'm just curious will I be using more critical thinking skills and assessment skills in CN? Do state prison work experience have an advantage if I may want to work in ER or med/surg?

[travduck, BSN, RN, CNM]

Unfortunately, if you go strictly correctional it may be a hinderance to working elsewhere. As CNA is corrections you may end up in a office technician position, or hopefully, working in a hospital setting - though the hospitals are not usually up to the grade of community hospitals. You might also assist, and work as office tech in the correctional version of emergency room. However your functions will be very confined. The good that will be from the experience is the interaction with the prisoners and the politics of governmental work.

[Natasha A., CNA, LVN]

Thanks. I figure that.

[RNforLongTime]

One prison in my State's Prison system has one Prison where inmates who are severely debilatated are sent to serve out their sentence and receive specialized nursing care..Think nursing home type patients but in a prison setting. They hire CNA's there.

[LilRedRN1973]

We have CNA's in our prison but only 4 of them. They all work in the infirmary where I am a supervisor. The duties they perform are very similiar to the ones they would be doing in a nursing home. Most of our inmates are very much like those you would find in a nursing home: elderly and needing assistance with their ADL's. The difference is the workload. Our CNA's have a much lighter workload than what you would find in an outside facility. And they are paid very well. I think our CNA's make around $18/hr.