MA Correctional Nursing

KellieNurse06 · May 25, 2007

really......hmmmm. I just went for an interview at Bridgewater State Hospital which is under UMass. They told me you can refuse the forced stay 2x then you get fired. It sounded like I was pretty much hired, but haven't heard from them since my interview last Wed. Does it normally take this long?? It drives me crazy when places inerview you and give you he impression you are pretty much hired only to never call you. They said it takes a while to get the background check done.....but a week??? I have a friend who has a relative who works as a guard there, and they said something about some paper you can fill out every 6 months so you can't be fired for refusal of forced stay.........I applied there pretty much for the benefits because I need insurance & everything, plus it's literally right up the road from me......any more info you can add, seeing it's under UMass ????? Thanx!

KellieNurse06 · May 25, 2007

I just found out "unofficially" I was hired!!! I am getting the "official" call Tuesday with my offer & all the details............I am so psyched! Hey I can always look for employment if it doesn't pan out.....but I won't know until I give it a try.....I am doing 24 hrs...3 8's a week........3-11. I will post how it's going after I start going to orientation & then when I actually start work...I am so excited because I will have full benefits & hopefully job security ...plus I can still keep my home care jobs!!!!

BrianRN-PsychSup · Aug 28, 2007

Hello, I find this post disconcerting at best. I am interested in a position at MCI Framingham. I have a friend who works in the HR dept. at UMass correctional. She is telling me how great the people are there and the benefits and all that. I have no prejudices about working with incarcerated people. In the ER where I worked many of the Fram. IM's were brought in for Tx. The CO's kept telling me how I should apply there. That they needed the help. So I am of two minds here.

1) Run away, they are trying to sell it too hard.

2) Could the negatives I hear be just "sour grapes".

I have been in a private psych hospital as a nsg. sup. for about 8 months. It got VERY BAD. Dangerous and scary. We were forced to admit pt's that were way too violent and (dare I say) crazy. Long Hx of assaultive Bx towards staff etc. Are way understaffed. e.g. 1 RN and three MHW's on the acute unit and 1/1 in the "non acute" units.

No security staff at all. I was on Nights covering a staff RN shift and was kicked in the chest by a female when we attempted to move her to the acute unit. The MHW's and RN Supv. just stood there and stared in amazement. Then, not one would stand up when I reported it to mgmnt. The Supv. said that she didn't notice me getting kicked, flying back 6 feet, landing in a chair and sliding in the chair another two feet. ( I am kind of a big guy and kinetic energy is amazing)

Run away, quickly.

I do not want to jump out of the frying pan into the fire.

I would appreciate any more incite onto UMass before I delve in. You can PM me if you like.

Thanks,

Brian RN.

DoubleJ81 · Oct 30, 2007

well, if any of you are willing to go outside of ma, i know there are opps in ct. let me know if you're interested.

texascowgirl · Nov 2, 2007

appalled to hear this. in Texas, we truly live by the slogan "DONT MESS WITH TEXAS"....i have worked in Texas as a head nurse of a prison and in other detention facilities and i assure you, inmates aint "coddled" and the CO's and rank have always been overly protective of nurses. zero tolerance for any of that behavior. maybe it's the redneck good ole boy tough talkin' Texan mentality or something, but in my experience, the CO's were very tough........

come to Texas, where we do things right!!

i would love to go back into corrections but i just started the dream job of my life and i just cannot, absolutely cannot leave-gonna ride this gravy train until it runs out!

I worked in UMass (ZooMass) Correctional Health Care.
We we chronically short staffed, one RN & 2 LPNs for a 1500 bed male medium security facility. The comaraderie was tops as we were forced to stick together to survive. We had a lot of emergency calls that would set back our heavy scheduled med passes and clinics.
UMass will not back you when something happens, and they seem to prefer to coddle the inmates in fear they will riot. Even some COs buy into this mentality and have not intervened to assist a nurse under attack. The load can stress anyone until they make a mistake, and then it is your fault. Administration will scapegoat a nurse in this ultra-liberal state. The inmates will demand and verbally abuse nurses using sexual metaphors openly on med rounds in the segregation unit.
Places to avoid are MCI Shirley, MCI Cedar Junction (formerly Walpole State Prison), Framingham (female) and MCI Norfolk.
If you must work there, make sure you have malpractice insurance paid up.
If you can, run sreaming, as far away as you can. There are better jobs out there. Try the federal system.
Good luck, stay safe and take care.

Aethon · Feb 15, 2008

Unfortunately, I/M are coddled where I am too. It is the liberal movement. Soon, they will be receiving pensions from the prison systems once they reach 65.

Yermonator · Feb 15, 2008

Wow you really are short handed. And any C.O. that dosn't back you up when your'e attacked is a piece of **** !! (yes I said it) You should get the hell out of there as fast as your little feet will carry you and then they can all just care for themselves. Come to New York where the Villians do seem to feel "entitled" but we try not to placate them for fear of litigation. In the SHU areas sure your are going to get that sort of action from knuckleheads ( hey thats why they are there ). Not only do inmates get to grieve situations but you do also. If your not already on record with your own grievance then your not doing your part to correct it, you do have a responsibility to report unsafe practices going on around so that not only you but others benefit from the complaint. Short staffing where I come from could close your entire facility or else the state will have to "reassign nurses from other facilities towards you until shotage is remedied. Good luck and remember the state also has the onus of protecting you as well.

Dennis:crying2:

CorrRx · Feb 19, 2008

Seriously, do not put up with that. Is it privitized care, state or what? I hope you do have a union, and if not, I would run to find a healthier work setting. Document document document. Names, dates, events, witnesses. You sound like a lawyer may be needed in your future: either to defend a worker's comp suit (how dangerous!); or a stress disability - harrassment case which you have by the way. Such people abusing such power should not be tolerated. Doing so allows it to fester, on many many levels. Drop a dime for everyone.

I am sorry to hear this, as I am a Mass girl who found her corrections career in California. Someday I may want to come back "home" to work.