[fiestynurse]

GaryLPN - Hillsborough County has a brand new jail facility that is run by PHS. The medical department is state-of-the-art. The DON is a great guy, who you would love working for. You said that you already work for PHS, so it would be an easy site transfer. I highly recommend this facility.

[aprisonrn2]

As a prison RN for over 5 years, I've never given a patient a back rub or massage of any type!! Florida DOC is a good place to work, whether you're an RN or LPN. The biggest thing to remember about working with inmates is that they will try to get anything from you that they can. ANYTHING that is available in the medical department can become their equivilant of cash, since the prisons are a cashless society.

At times, working with inmates will be very rewarding and at other times, it can be very frustrating. (Doesn't that sound like most other nursing environments?!?) Trying to give good nursing care and be a patient advocate and stay within the limits imposed on you because of the system can be very challenging at times. One of the biggest threats to that is nurses that become "institutionalized" themselves. I mean, after all, they are just inmates, right?

I don't know about the county camps down around Tampa, but up in north FL, between Gainesville and Jacksonville, I can think of at least 9 state facilities plus the county camps, within an hours drive of Gainesville....and that is just the ones I can think of off the top of my head.

Come on down to Florida, we need more good nurses here!!

[Monica RN,BSN]

Originally Posted by GARYLPN

Hi Blackcat,

Actually in a lot of ways it's absurd to think of giving an inmate a backrub although I would certainly give an elderly dying inmate confined to the bed a backrub. The younger healthy ones could forget it. They can get their cell buddy to give them a backrub.

I actually like your sense of humor. It's like backrubs??? What's next happy hour at 5:00 with 50 cent draft beer???

I sometimes get disgusted at some of the liberties given to inmates knowing that they get free medical care when there are millions of elderly people in this country who can barely afford health care but I always keep in mind that it's not my job to worry about that.

And I can't totally blame the inmates. This country developed a prison system that puts people in prison over the slightest infraction and since we do that it is then up to the taxpayers to support the prison system which includes free food, shelter, and health care. But then again inmates actually pay my salary. It's funny though because I pay taxes to support prisons and prisons turn around and pay my salary.

Please take no offense at anything I write although I do have high standards about nursing care no matter who it is.

Gary

Gary: Here in Florida, inmates are charged 2.00 a day, and they have no tv and cannot smoke in our prison systems.

[Monica RN,BSN]

Originally Posted by Blackcat99

Tampa area!! Please be careful! I had a friend who use to live in Tampa and she said that the Tampa area is a very high crime area. Best of Luck to you.

Hi Blackcat: I wish to comment that crime can happen anywhere at anytime, and do not think Tampa is that high of crime as compared to Miami, Ft. Lauderdale,or even West Palm Beach... and mostly the very southern portions of Florida, (especially due to mexican and cuban influx to those areas.) TIP: Learn to shoot safely and get a Florida Concealed Weopns license. Then you can legally carry a handgun on your person at all times, in case of a time of need, you might be glad you had this added backup of protection.