Nurses Misbehaving While Caring For Inmates

[nursejudy15209]

Yes, I am disturbed about the bad reputation nurses are gaining at the correctional facility where I work.

One gave inmates Ultram in large quantities without an order, the other smuggled cell phones and cigarettes into the jail, and here's the latest - another just got arrested for inappropriate sexual relations with inmates.

What the heck is going on? Of course these nurses were arrested and entered the jail from the "other side of the fence". I guess I'm just baffled. I wouldn't think that nurses would engage in such behavior ESPECIALLY when our DON issued many warnings about what not to do when working as a nurse in corrections.

Needless to say, our reputation for being "the angels of mercy" that dignifies nurses around the world, is pretty much gone south. I feel that our respectability as a group has been comprimised and it just angers me. By the way, these separate incidents have happened in the short span of 3 months. Has the world gone crazy or is it just me?

What about your correctional facility? Have you ever heard of such things going on where you work? I even had a run in with somthing when I trusted the wrong person who happened to make an appearance in the medication room where I was pouring pills. Needless to say -- when it comes to narcotics, I have learned not to trust anybody! Nobody gets the chance to get that close to me or my cart again. But everything turned out OK, but I can't say the same for these other nurses. I might have been a "target" or "victim" but that's not the case with these people. They knowingly took advantage of what they thought was an easy way to get around the system built to protect those working.

Everybody gets caught sooner or later, but now that things have come to light, it makes those who actually work hard and do their jobs - uncomfortable. These nurses were my colleagues. I thought they were people who chose nursing because most of the time we do perform some kind of necessary function even if our only "patients" are those wearing jail uniforms.

Anybody with thoughts on this rather different and uncomfortable topic?

[Anne128]

I forwarded all of Tbrds posts to a friend of a friend who is FBI and specializes in Statement Analysis. He believes highly that this poster is female. For what it's worth, just sayin'.

[nursel56]

tbrd450

First may I say that if tbrd means you are the owner of a Thunderbird and 450 means the Thunderbird has a large engine and goes fast you can never be allll bad but anyway..

Come on, admit it, you can't help but to read my long-winded run-on sentences, through parted fingers. Honestly, has some of what I have written resonated with you?.. truthfully?

Yes, but I'm not a corrections nurse, my experience of prisons is what I've seen on "Lock-up" and I generally try to stay out of discussions I don't have any practical experience in. I just broke my lurker status briefly because you wondered about who was or why anyone was reading this thread.

Likewise, can't comment on the anger issue when the topic of empathy comes up.

You used the words "Club Fed"... can I ask you, does that mean you believe, generally, correctional facilities are too nice and comfy?

No, it's a play on words for a minimum security facility where they normally send people convicted of white collar crimes like fraud, tax evasion and embezzlement. Club Med===> Club Fed. They sent Martha Stewart to one of those to serve her insider trading sentence.

You mentioned "bored" and "too much free time"... can I infer from that that maybe you happen to believe, generally, that inmates have too much free time?

Can't comment on that, because "free time" when you're in prison is not the same as "free time" when you're not. I do understand that many times inmates want on site-jobs and such is considered a privilege.

[tbrd450]

I forwarded all of Tbrds posts to a friend of a friend who is FBI and specializes in Statement Analysis. He believes highly that this poster is female. For what it's worth, just sayin'.

Ok, the FBI thinks I'm a woman!?! Do you have any idea how emasculating that is?

That's at least 3 more months of pscho-analysis for me.

[tbrd450]

tbrd450

First may I say that if tbrd means you are the owner of a Thunderbird and 450 means the Thunderbird has a large engine and goes fast you can never be allll bad but anyway..

Yes, but I'm not a corrections nurse, my experience of prisons is what I've seen on "Lock-up" and I generally try to stay out of discussions I don't have any practical experience in. I just broke my lurker status briefly because you wondered about who was or why anyone was reading this thread.

Sorry,... do you mean Yes to you can't help but read my run-on sentences, or do you mean Yes to some of what I have written resonates with you? Or, both?

Likewise, can't comment on the anger issue when the topic of empathy comes up.

No, it's a play on words for a minimum security facility where they normally send people convicted of white collar crimes like fraud, tax evasion and embezzlement. Club Med===> Club Fed. They sent Martha Stewart to one of those to serve her insider trading sentence.

Can't comment on that, because "free time" when you're in prison is not the same as "free time" when you're not. I do understand that many times inmates want on site-jobs and such is considered a privilege.

re: transportation: sorry, no Thunderbird here. Nonetheless, I'm not "all bad."

re: Club Fed: Do I understand then that there is no intended connotation on the relative deservednes associated with those who go here as opposed to harder facilities? Nor, no connotation on the potential regret that such places are not harder themselves?

Re: empathy anger and silence: why no comment?

[sirI, MSN, APRN, NP]

Thread closed for staff review.