Where's Waldo?

[all_good_names_gone]

Let us not forget.....

My perception of Nursing had to change / grow. As with all learning it came about through a series of challenges.

A few months ago, working as a "Corrections Traveler", my assignment had me rounding in "D" wing. Generally speaking not a pleasant experience. I moved quickly and quietly through so as not to disturb anybody, or more importantly to alert them to my presence. I am not proud of that. For some reason, an offender said weakly, "Nurse, please help me, I haven't s**t in days." I did asses him through the food slot. (I wasn't taught that in Nursing School). He had no bowel sounds and a hard abdomen. Fast Forward to present. I have the pleasure of serving a patient who is truly grateful as he spends his last days on earth. When I think I am not making a difference, I swing by that medical pod and just say hello.

It was further re-enforced just last week. I was working as an aide, since we had staff challenges. An offender wanted a shower. Multiple persons told him he couldn't since it wasn't his day. He asked me throughout the day for a shower. I was always behind as I take some pride in my care of my patients. 30 minutes before the end of the shift the same man was pleading, Please, I need a shower. His shirt was off, I was hopelessly behind, but the stained dressings from paracentesis... Well, I had to do it. He stunk. I carefully removed the multiple layers of dry dressings, and showered him. I did a fast covering dressing, even though there was no leakage and he thanked me. I came in the following morning to be told he had passed. Thank goodness he got his shower!

My perception has changed. My place is to play, "Where is Waldo?" When I work in a large infirmary of 2500 or so population, my job is to find the 1% that is not faking. When I work a Regional Medical Facility, I need beds for the sicker one coming down the pipe, again Where is Waldo, so I can help the next one who is worse off.

I often hear disparaging comments about offenders, corrections staff, even medical; But my attitude, and my nursing is better now that my personal job description includes, "Where's Waldo?"

[amoLucia]

I don't get the 'where's Waldo' connection but I would like to say thank you for your dedication and service to your difficult population.

[CryssyD]

There are genuinely needy offenders in prison. The problem is, when you go out of your way for the non-fakers, you might be providing "special" care for certain offenders, while those who keep their mouths shut and go through the normal procedures to access care are getting ignored. I do sympathize with the offenders who "haven't s@#& in weeks," but why didn't they notify someone sooner? Are they really being ignored, or just not doing what they are supposed to?

I really don't want to come across as a hard-a@#, but prison inmates will manipulate nurses, and one of their favorite ploys is to make the nurse feel like he/she is the only one who cares enough to help the poor, neglected inmates. Sometimes that's just not the whole story. Just saying!

[Orca, ADN, ASN, RN]

I really don't want to come across as a hard-a@#, but prison inmates will manipulate nurses, and one of their favorite ploys is to make the nurse feel like he/she is the only one who cares enough to help the poor, neglected inmates. Sometimes that's just not the whole story. Just saying!

Very much this. You cannot take everything you are told at face value. One reason that inmates don't get the care they need is that they don't seek it - then they file grievances over issues that they have never mentioned to medical staff not being taken care of. They also have their parents call the warden, the medical director and others about how neglected they are - when at least 75 percent of the time they have never mentioned the issue. There is also a lot of fabrication about the number of times that they have submitted written requests for care. The higher the number, the more likelihood that the actual number is zero.

[OscarTheOwl]

I really don't waste time worrying about who is or is not faking. Where I work, we have a system and the inmates must follow the proper channels to receive medical care. All inmates know exactly what to do if they need medical care. I learned this the hard way. When I first started I tried to treat all issues that came to me. The first day it was one or two, second it was five-seven, third was more than ten. Word spreads quickly. If it is a true emergency then I would activate the emergency alert, otherwise, no matter how bad I feel for them if they haven't s*** in a week, they have to follow the same channels as every other inmate.

Your heart is in the right place OP, glad you made a difference. You are allowed to have compassion for inmates and provide quality nursing care.

Oh and be very very careful putting anything attached to you through the bean slot. I don't even put my hand through, I require they reach out due to stories I've heard, inmates grabbing and not letting go, slicing or sticking you with who knows what.