Scary story!

Specialties Correctional

Published

I do agency work at a jail to supplement my school nurse salary. (Weird, I know.) I'd been thinking about doing some shifts at a nearby prison. Mentioned this to another agency nurse, who used to be the nursing supervisor for a prison. She told me an interesting story...

She was working as a nurse at the prison when an inmate slipped her a love note. She was shocked and brought it to the officers, who then searched his room, and found a piece of paper with her full name, address, and phone number on it. This inmate was due to be released in 2 weeks. His crime? Rape.

He was put in "the hole" for 2 weeks and was then released. She had three small children. She said she couldn't sleep at night and was terrified (obviously.)

Fortunately it has a happy ending... she found out a little while later he was back in jail... she wasn't sure what for, and she didn't want to know.

Has anything like this happened to anyone else? I mean, I've been hit on, and there's the guy who sings the "I'm so sexy" song whenever I pass by, but never anything as scary as that.

Interesting and scary story...I'm glad she's alright.

If you are attractive...prison will be an interesting place to work

as a nurse...you will get a lot of unwanted attention from both

officers and prisoners. :uhoh21:

Everyone's a beauty queen to a prisoner

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Specializes in med/surg oncology.

I'm reading a book (Games that Criminals play, and how you can benefit by knowing them) and it suggests that anyone in corrections be called my last name only. In the facility I'm at the officers are known by last name only, but the nurses are all by first name. Nurse Margaret, Mary, etc. But when you sign any MAR or write in an inmates chart you sign your name. I use my first initial and full last name followed by RN.

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i have an interview tomorrow at the jail in our county and reading this is really giving me seconds thoughts on whether i should go or not. I have 4 children at home and I dont want to go to walmart and run into an old inmate that didnt like me or something.

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In our facility, all staff are to be referred to by their last name. On the other hand, there are inmates who refer to some of us by first name, usually because they have difficulty in saying the last name. We always make them use a title with it, i.e., Officer John, Mr. Robert, Nurse Jane. Also, the inmates have the right to know our first name...if asked, I tell them. I also warn them that they are not to use it lest they face disciplinary action.

In reality, I worry much less in prison than any other setting I've worked. The truth is, any setting you are in is filled with criminals and psychos. You may not realize it when you care for them, but they are there. A VA my mother worked at had a nurse killed by a LTC resident...with the gun he kept under his pillow. Of course, everyone at the place knew he had the gun, but no one seemed to care or did anything about it.

My point is this: you are in danger in any setting. Be careful, be professional, do what you are supposed to do and nothing that you are not. Most people - inmates or otherwise - will respect this and treat you appropriately. The remainder are a dangerous and unpredictable element no matter where you work. It is just as easy for your hospital patient to find out your personal info and track you down outside of work as it is for an inmate or former inmate.

I'm reading a book (Games that Criminals play, and how you can benefit by knowing them) and it suggests that anyone in corrections be called my last name only. In the facility I'm at the officers are known by last name only, but the nurses are all by first name. Nurse Margaret, Mary, etc. But when you sign any MAR or write in an inmates chart you sign your name. I use my first initial and full last name followed by RN.
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In reality, I worry much less in prison than any other setting I've worked. The truth is, any setting you are in is filled with criminals and psychos. You may not realize it when you care for them, but they are there.

My point is this: you are in danger in any setting. Be careful, be professional, do what you are supposed to do and nothing that you are not. It is just as easy for your hospital patient to find out your personal info and track you down outside of work as it is for an inmate or former inmate.

I have to agree 100% with this post. Having worked as a nurse for 16 years, 5 years with the Department of Corrections, you NEVER know with whom, or what circumstances you are working around. Read reports of what goes through a typical ER...it's enough to scare you from people in general. Corrections is an area that YOU KNOW you need to take certain precautions r/t the mere name CORRECTIONS. However, you don't get a heads-up in other areas of nursing as to who has done what and just hasn't been caught and imprisoned for it.

As for how they find out personal info...very, very simple. Names, unfortunately are not as "confidential" as the system would like. Officers give out personal info on other employees, usually innocently, but done so nonetheless. Inmate's family/friends have full access to prison staffing names via websites (more upper level staffing, such as wardens, ect.) they "google" the information, and pass things on to the incarcerated family member. Finding out personal information is not difficult with The World Wide Web and the assistance of family/friends with internet access.

I find inmates getting my name and address no more "threatening" than someone I work around, or come in contact with. I have been stalked with no recourse, per my local law enforcement, b/c actual harm had not occured??? Sure, I filed a report BUT until SOMETHING ACTUALLY HAPPENED, nothing could be done beyond warning the person of my complaint. Talk about SCARY!

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I'm reading a book (Games that Criminals play, and how you can benefit by knowing them) and it suggests that anyone in corrections be called my last name only. In the facility I'm at the officers are known by last name only, but the nurses are all by first name. Nurse Margaret, Mary, etc. But when you sign any MAR or write in an inmates chart you sign your name. I use my first initial and full last name followed by RN.

I sign my initials and then RN in the chart.

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I have to agree 100% with this post. Having worked as a nurse for 16 years, 5 years with the Department of Corrections, you NEVER know with whom, or what circumstances you are working around. Read reports of what goes through a typical ER...it's enough to scare you from people in general. Corrections is an area that YOU KNOW you need to take certain precautions r/t the mere name CORRECTIONS. However, you don't get a heads-up in other areas of nursing as to who has done what and just hasn't been caught and imprisoned for it.

As for how they find out personal info...very, very simple. Names, unfortunately are not as "confidential" as the system would like. Officers give out personal info on other employees, usually innocently, but done so nonetheless. Inmate's family/friends have full access to prison staffing names via websites (more upper level staffing, such as wardens, ect.) they "google" the information, and pass things on to the incarcerated family member. Finding out personal information is not difficult with The World Wide Web and the assistance of family/friends with internet access.

I find inmates getting my name and address no more "threatening" than someone I work around, or come in contact with. I have been stalked with no recourse, per my local law enforcement, b/c actual harm had not occured??? Sure, I filed a report BUT until SOMETHING ACTUALLY HAPPENED, nothing could be done beyond warning the person of my complaint. Talk about SCARY!

True. I had an inmate who kept writting me medical requests asking for my full name and stating he had the right to know who his healthcare workers were. My response was, "you can address me as NURSE and our relationship needs to remain professional only". At my jail, I am formal with everyone, "OFFICER", COMMANDER" etc. and expect everyone to address me as NURSE. It goes over real well.

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WHY do your inmates have the right to ask you your first name???????? They have no rights to my personal info in the NYS prison I work in, which includes, but not limited to my first name. Is that a law there??? What other kind of info do they have the "right" to ask????????

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why do your inmates have the right to ask you your first name???????? they have no rights to my personal info in the nys prison i work in, which includes, but not limited to my first name. is that a law there??? what other kind of info do they have the "right" to ask????????

prison or not, you do not have to divulge your first name to anyone.

i think i understand shell3's point and it's right on target...keep it professional.

you always have the 5th ammendment!! ;)

just know scary is everywhere!

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WHY do your inmates have the right to ask you your first name???????? They have no rights to my personal info in the NYS prison I work in, which includes, but not limited to my first name. Is that a law there??? What other kind of info do they have the "right" to ask????????

THEY DON'T HAVE THE RIGHT TO KNOW WHO I AM. THE INMATE SAID THAT TO THROW ME OFF. SOMETIMES, THE INMATES HEAR A WORD OR PHRASE THAT IS USED IN MEDICAL AND THEY TRY TO USE IT TO THEIR ADVANTAGE. ONE OF THE TRUSTEES OVERHEARD MY NAME ONE DAY AND KEPT ADDRESSING ME BY MY FIRST NAME. HE WOULD DO IT DELIBERATELY IN FRONT OF OTHERS, LIKE THANKING ME FOR SOMETHING REALLY STUPID. SO I TOLD THE TRUSTEE BOARD AND THEY TOLD HIM TO KNOCK IT OFF OR LOSE THE KITCHEN JOB. THE INMATES ARE LIKE WOLVES LICKING THEIR CHOPS AND WAITING FOR THE RIGHT MOMENT. TRUSTEES ESP. ARE PRIVY TO CONVERSATIONS. SO YOU HAVE TO BE ON YOUR TOES ALL THE TIME.

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Has anyone worked for armor correctional health services inc, of coconut creek, fl?

are they a decent for-profit company to work for?

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who regulates the jailhouse healthcare?

the dept of justice or the dept of health?

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