[tirzo13]

I'm telling you, if you can get over the idea that its a prison, and you wont feel how you expected to feel when you chose to be a nurse, prisons in california are great.
next year, 100,000 a year, to start!!!
yes, new grads will get 100K/year...
vested after 5 years at 2.5%.
meaning you can retire after 5 years and collect at 55.
if you are 50 now and start then perfect..
if you are 35 now, work for 20 years and retire with 50%, which even today would be $5000 a month, in 20 years, who knows.
we have plenty of older nurses, MD, DDS who come here to get the 5 years of vested retirement.

what i will do next year is work 4 days a week in the prison, and then 1 day a week doing something that makes me feel good, like at a free clinic or something.

[DaveSVN]

lots of valuble information in this thread, thank God a message board like this exists.

[Mudwoman]

CMS (Correctional Medical Services) is a medical services sub contractor in 24 states. They don't pay well and they don't have the best benefits. I'm making $15.45 as an LPN. New hires are coming in at about $14 hr. CMS doesn't use many RN's except in Management positions and the pay is much better there, but the job is more in the form of Health Services Administrator----no patient care.

[NurseAngie]

Originally Posted by SlavicNurse

CMS and PHS lost a lot of their contracts in Tennessee. PHS was replaced by CCS and CMS was replaced by another company, but I don't know who.

PHS also lost the contract here in Charleston, SC to CCS. I have been working for CCS since June 2005 and I am a LPN. I like corrections a lot, but don't know if I will stay once I finish the RN program next summer. I previously worked at Henrico County Jail in Virginia and I liked it there a lot too.

[Phish]

Does anyone know about Correctional Nursing in the Boston area? Working conditions, salaries, benefits, etc?

[Carebear06]

Originally Posted by fiestynurse

BigB - Do you know of anyone that has contracted HIV/AIDS from being spit on? Highly unlikely.

Yeah, I don't think that it has been proven that HIV can be spread through saliva...only blood or fluids containing blood getting into the bloodstream/mucous membranes. Not that I would want to be spit on anyway... does that really happen often? All the harrasment that is being talked about in this thread?

[ROSEY100]

What Can Anyone Tell Me About Correctional Medical Services (company) In Maine?

[Mudwoman]

Originally Posted by ROSEY100

What Can Anyone Tell Me About Correctional Medical Services (company) In Maine?

I can't speak for this company in Maine specifically, but I can tell you about CMS in general from my own experience.

The work in the prisons will vary from prison to prison. Generally, the work is pretty easy.

CMS has some of the WORST nurse managers you will ever work for. There is never enough PRN help for when you need to take vacation or are sick. Many a nurse at the facility I was at had to pull double 12 hour shifts with last minute notice because someone called in and there was no PRN people to cover for them. I worked day shift, but several times I was told after I reported to work that I had to go home and come back and work a night shift. If you refuse, you are written up or fired. Your contract specifically states that you must work whatever they need you to work. Insubordination if you don't.

Lots of politics with the guards. I had to put restraining orders on 3 inmates for threats against me when they were getting out. Some of the guards are not any better than the prisoners.

You will be required to carry a clear vinyl bag and be searched when reporting to work. You can not have what is considered "contraban" at any time. Gum, peanut butter, bottled coke, anything in glass are just a few items that will get you in big trouble.

CMS turnover is HUGE unless you are an RN and in one of the management positions. Those never seem to leave. You can be a horrible failure of a nurse and be over a prison medical facility and succeed at CMS.

Doctors for CMS are real losers too for the most part. They are usually docs that have a past that prevents them from functioning in the real world-------alcoholism, accusations of sexual assault etc.

[hisblueskies]

I work for CMS in Arkansas and the salary is low compared to hospitals. I have been working in a male prison for the last 5 months and while there are things I enjoy I am having a hard time dealing with my co-workers. CMS tends to hire more LPN's than RN's. I have a BSN. All of the nursing special jobs like infection control, greivances and chronic care positions are run by LPN's. I am working PRN right now and am desparately trying to get benefits. Management is dragging their feet on getting them for me. I can understand that you have to be careful around prisoners but most of my coworkers are so mean to them. The other day when I was doing pill call a prisoner started to ask me a question about a rash on his arm and 2 nurses that were with me tore into him. They had alot of venom in their speech - one of them ordered him away from the window before he even got his morning meds. I thought it was uncalled for. You have to be firm with them but you don't have to tear their heads off when they respectfully ask you a question.

[jjrn76]

How much mandatory ot is required at the facility your working. Are the medical records electronic. The upgrade to an EMR has been sloww to non exsistant wher I currently wrk