do the correctionals hire new grads?

Interesting thread. Correctional nursing is definetly NOT for me!!!

Oregon hires new grads… but this job is not for the faint of heart… there are a lot of ethical internal battles about the type, quality, patients, and understanding you are willing to put your RN profession through. You MUST have a passion for helping the type of patient who most people feel are undeserving & withstand the criticism from colleges not in your specialty. I know cause I work at the Multnomah County Justice Center. Good luck.

I am a corrections nurse in Washington State. They do hire new grads, but they pay, on the average, $10.00/hr less than hospitals. I do like what I do. I work in a minimun security work camp. We train the inmates in forestry and forest fire fighting among other things. I have never been attacked, had anything thrown on me. Most of the inmates are very respectful to me. I made my boundries very clear from day one. Firm, Fair and Consistant is what we live by. I do have a rule, if it is between the waist and the knees, the PA ( a male) sees them. I have only had to break my rule twice - he was on vacation and I handled sick call by myself. Very rarely do I have a officer in the office with me, there is one posted outside the office an is available if I need him, but I never have.
Corrections nursing is never boring. Our office is like a cross between and urgent care, a primary care and an emergency room.
Ask for a tour of a facility you are thinking about applying at, talk to the nurses and the providers. You may be suprised at what you find.

I am not really sure. I have worked in a prison and a jail... the jail doesn't hire new grads. You need some med surg experience to get a job there.

Its not easy... trauma can happen at any time.

Here in Georgia its almost like: Degree + warm body = job

Mutiple levels of prisons here:
Medical prison
Closest thing I can call one prison is nursing home for prisoners
Minimum
Medium
Maximum
Parole Detention centers
State run
Private run
Federal

Medium and maximum probably will have a good mix of mental health patients
Level one = no mental health
Level two = mental health (for better description on mental health doing good)
Level three = Have there own dorms and are escorted by security wherever they go.
Level four = Very unstable. Usually in a CSU as ASU room with frequent checks.

Hospital Nursing: One takes care of prisoners and don't think that guard may be of much help... Hospital Nursing: The people who come and go are not controlled or searched. Hospital Nursing: Is that patient a recent release from prison, mental health, is he/she a murder. Hospital Nursing: Even in time of universal precautions do you know if the patient has HIV, etc...

Prison Nursing: One takes care of prisoners and don't think that guard may be of much help, but I know that in less than three minutes the blue and gray squads can be on the scene in force. Prison Nursing: The people who come and go are controlled and can be searched. Prison Nursing: Is that patient a recent release from prison (probably and just had to come back), mental health (probably and well documented) , is he/she a murder (could be and easy to discover if one wants to). Prison Nursing: Even in time of universal precautions do you know if the patient has HIV, etc. We know because they are screened by blood work when they come in and we probably re-screen more aggressively than any outside health care arena.

Prison Nursing is not all roses and its not all thrones. Hospital Nursing is not all roses and its not all thrones. The prison nurse that was attacked by an inmate probably did not expect it. The hospital nurse shot by a family member probably did not expect it.

Perspective.

Something to add to this post. Not all Prisons or Dentention centers are like what is stated above. Some of these things may go on in the facilities that these people have worked at and experienced. Not ALL are like what is described. All depends on where you work.

opps, stated above, meaning stated by others post to the thread posted. The post directly above mine is well, the correct perspective. ugh.

Look into Corrections Corporation of America. They are a private correctional business that are located all over the country. I reside in Arizona and CCA is a contract facility for the United States Marshals Service. I was hired as a new grad RN, however, I am a former police officer. There are other facilities in the Florence, Arizona area as well, and I know of another individual who I attended RN school with who was also hired as a new grad RN at a different prison. Hope this helps...

How many prisons in how many states have you worked in??? I don't believe they are all the same.

can anyone tell me what agencies in the riverside/san bernardino counties hire for the detention centers or prisons. i would really like to try in out before i actually appy on line for state. and i know of agencies in the LA area and northern but cant seem to find any one or any place that does it out here. ive been looking and researching for about 3 weeks now.
ive tried the county websites but nothing posted.
ps. im a CNA & lic. phlebotomist with acute care experience.