Does this sound right to you?

Specialties Correctional

Published

I work at a prison as an lpn. Today I was assigned to work the doctor call out. When the doctor called in sick, my nurse supervisor ask me to take all the vital signs and work up the chart and she would call him at home for orders. I've worked doctor call out for several years at many different prisons and was never asked to do this. What do you think?

Specializes in Corrections, Psych, LTC, Management.

I worked in corrections for a couple of years and now I work in a halfway house, which is simmilar, but I have never heard of it. If the inmates are scheduled to see the doctor they probably already saw the nurse for a sick call so you probably shouldnt give them anything per nurse protocol.

I dont think it's illegal, its just like when the doctor is not there, she can do the SOAP format and relate the information to him. However, ive never heard about doing it that way

Thank you.

I did similar in sick call. Would see orders later pop up based on my assessment notes. Usually like a wound I swabbed and sent off cultures, the Dr would out in antibiotics for them while waiting on labs.

When you come to work are you given an assignment? Do you take turns handling medical emergencies and preconfinements. One week I'll work with the doctors and do the clinics and procedures, the next week I'll do the nurse call out. We are very very short staffed. And I am constantly picking up the slack to keep the shift moving along. The other nurses just won't be fair and pitch in accordingly. I've asked my supervisor many times to write an assignment sheet so the work can be fairly rotated and weighted, but she just won't. I think I'm leaving corrections, or at least that prison. I feel like I've been left to fix the problems and I'm sick of that. My supervisor needs to step it up and get more involved instead of sitting in her office, off the floor, and answering grevinces.

i also work dr.line at a state prison, and sometimes are asked to "triage" the inmates that the dr. should have seen that day, it a way of covering their ass if an inmate is truly ill, which i did find one who had to get sent out to have gallbladder surgery. I have never had a supervisor call the dr. at home for orders though, usually we have another Dr. in the clinic that can either take a look at the inmate, or write orders if needed.

Specializes in Managed Care, Onc/Neph, Home Health.

If I were you, I would not do any of that, and have my license on the line, because 9 times out of 10, if something happened, you would not be supported....j/s You worked hard for your license. They do not like sending inmates out and those men/women need more medical attention than received in the jail

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