Graduating soon here, curious about correctional nursing?

avahnel, ASN, RN · May 7, 2014

How does correctional nursing compare to, say, med/surg nursing?

In our facility the infirmary is "med/surg lite" (per our medical director). The truth is...if they need to be in a hospital they will be sent to one.

Can the job be dangerous?

Of course. That being said, I have never not felt safe at the jail that I work at. I have a Correctional Officer or Police Officer there with me at all times. I am never alone with a patient...ever. When doing a study of violence in the workplace...nurses in an ED have much more chance of being hurt than I do. And, if a patient hurts you in the hospital (intentionally or accidentally) they are still always right, and they will have no consequences. There are consequences to bad behavior at my facility.

How would the wages compare to hospital wages? The hospital I work in currently starts RN's in the union off at just shy of $30 an hour.

In my area I get paid more at the jail than I was being paid at a hospital. It may have been because of my years of experience and the specific hospital though.

And any overall pros and cons of correctional nursing.

I love my job. That being said, I do not know if it is the best job for a new grad. I say that because I have put in 0 foleys, 3 IVs and drawn blood 5 times in the last 18 months that I have worked at the jail. MAs do most of the blood draws. I have given lots of shots, and have become a pro at PPDs. So it is not the best place to cement your skills as a new graduate. Also, I feel that you should have strong assessment skills at a jail. I say this because when dealing with manipulative inmates, you often must weed through the extra complaints or information that the patient is trying to tell you to get to the assessment data. Strong assessment skills come from assessing...and you get the most practice at acute assessments at a hospital. My assessments are very focused, however I can do them because of my years of experience at a hospital.

GrannyLpn2005, BSN, RN · Jun 7, 2014

I agree.....a new grad should get the experience on a med surg floor for at least one year. That was the advise my nursing instructers gave to all of us before we graduated. I was a pediatric nurse and when I started in our facility one of the CO's thought I had been in corrections all of my nursing......I advised him, I just went from the little kids to the big kids......I have always felt safe, because the CO's are with me at all times when I am dealing with an inmate. The only problem I have with our facility, there are always the cut backs and that causes some anguish. Then on top of all of that we have a Superintendent that has been with us for going on 4 years and he has made everybody's life hell! So morale is always down.....also, the state of Virginia has not approved our budget for this year yet and because of that we have an upcoming staff meeting that everybody is afraid of, because we are wondering who will get laid off! But of course all of the above could happen anywhere.

4boysmama · Jun 10, 2014

I'm a new grad (passed board yesterday!!) and I'm glad you asked this question because I've been thinking about this as well. In my area (metro Philadelphia) new grad jobs are virtually impossible to land, especially with an ADN (it doesn't matter than I have a double major BA in Political Sci/English - that apparently doesn't make me the "well rounded" nurse that a BSN would, despite having virtually the same courseload in the end between my two degrees) I'm a bit frustrated at frequently seeing the "get the experience on a med-surg floor for a year" advice, when really, for so many of us...that's just not an option because the hospitals are just not hiring new grads (not even BSN new grads at least in my area where there is absolutely NO nurse shortage lol!)

Barbara H. · Jun 11, 2014

Sure, most of us would love to get our first experience on a med surg floor...LOL

NurseFitz · Jun 30, 2014

I'm a new grad (as of December of 2013) and, like the original poster here, finding a hospital that would hire me as a new grad proved impossible. In fact, some of my classmates are still unemployed because they are holding out for hospital jobs. Anyways, I'm currently working at a state women's prison now and enjoying it tremendously. I have to say, I have wondered about how productive it is for a new grad to go straight into corrections rather than acute care, but on the other hand I find that it seems to suit me pretty well.

KimberlyRN89, BSN, RN · Jun 30, 2014

I started out as a new LPN at a county jail. I left after a year because I had just finished my BSN & wanted acute experience. I've been working on a med-surg floor for six months as a new grad RN and I'm grateful for my experience. Now I've just accepted a PRN position in a state prison.

While it would be IDEAL to have acute experience before moving onto corrections, I totally see the writing on the wall and know first hand how difficult it is to get a job as a nurse these days. Go for it! You may find yourself pleasantly surprised & enjoy corrections.

NConleyRN · Jul 14, 2014

I was a LPN in corrections for 7 years before returning to school to obtain my RN. Corrections is my niche. It is the one area of nursing I can say without a doubt I truly enjoy. I have worked in State Prisons as wells for Fulton County Jail which is the belly of the beast in atlanta. Corrections is predictable. For the most part all your patients are very stable. To get experience it is a must to go to med surg first. I have always worked in other places so I could maintain my skills. But in corrections I worked with nurses that were excellent with medications but if they had to draw blood or really "think" they would probably have a stroke. Corrections is also a challenge because nurses tend to have alot of autonomy and inmates are very manipulative. Everyone want to get out of jail for a minute even if its just to take a car ride to the hospital only to be sent right back. So assessment skills are a must. EVERYONE complains of chest pain the very second something doesnt go his/her way.