Prison nursing

I spent 15 years or more working in corrections in TX, but not as a nurse. (Correctional officer and supervisor - everything from death row, ad seg, down through MROP and mental health facility.)

You should check out the corrections nursing forum on this site: http://allnurses.com/correctional-nursing/

I have spent the last eight years in corrections - starting as a yard nurse, then a charge nurse and now a DON. I wouldn't attribute turnover entirely to inconsistency in management - although that can be a factor in some places. More often, nurses tire of hearing the same complaints day in and day out, and all the head games that inmates play in trying to get what they want. Some people also have difficulty working in a locked environment. It isn't for everyone. A former DON of mine told a story of a nurse who came for a job interview. As soon as she heard the gate clang shut behind her, she said "I can't do this. I have to go." I'm sure she had no idea that she would react that way.

Correctional nursing can be a blessing or a curse. After having done it for several years, I choose the former.

I went into as a temp job, while i finished school. Two years later I'm still here and I enjoy caring for the IM's the most. I do nurses line and you did get a little bored at times with a day full of migraine's, but the occasional emergency breaks up the boredom. I work in a female prision and alot of people say that the chicks are more needy. My only issue is actually working for the state, with someone behind a desk downtown, making medical decisions with no medical background hope you enjoy your new job for years to come

Just a quick question, what is a yard nurse? I am waiting for interview this upcomming month- it should happen from what I hear. Never worked for corrections but figured for prior military nurse and all the politics, backstabbing and high turnover I've seen, corrections shoud be ok . I also worked some psych, which I figured would be a good backround as well......

K

I think alot of it is the company you work for. SouthernHealth Partners is the worst. They run the most unorganized medical units and mostly have LPN's managing them. They have a doctor in name only. Equiptment is non-existant.
They have a large turnover too.

Never heard the term 'yard nurse' - what did that turn out to be?

I work in a clinic in a minimum security work camp prison. I really like it here. You have to figure out what they really want, not what they say they want. It can be a fun game.