[NurseBean73]

I just graduated in June and am starting next Monday at a correctional facility as an LPN until I pass by RN boards. All my former classmates are going to work in hospitals and looked at me funny and gave me a bad time when I said I was going to work in corrections. I feel like they think it's the best I could get or something. I am very proud of going to work for the state. The pay and benefits are great and truth be told I am NOT a floor nurse (I've heard that new grads should do at least a year on the floor but I'll take my chances). I am 34 years old and think corrections nursing will be a good fit for me. I was just wondering if anyone else ever got the feeling that other nurses feel like correction nursing isn't "real" nursing. Not that I should care....just wondering how you dealt with it.

[psychonurse]

NurseBean73,

I can remember about 24 years ago a girl that I worked with at the hospital left and went to corrections and I thought that she had lost her mind. To leave a great job in the hospital and to take care of INMATES!!!!! I thought that I could never do that....Well a few years later and I found out how much the hospital appreciated me and I went out to the prison and I will never regret my decision. I have learned to appreciate the job and taking care of inmates.

I have found that the doctors where I work have much more respect for me than they do for nurses in the hospital. We are the eyes and ears for them 16 hours of the day and they learn to rely on us a lot. The autonomy is great. Today something happened that just showed that to me again. We had an inmate come up as an emergency and he is a Chinese man so I know they can be pretty stoic sometimes. Well he came up and had all the classic signs of a kidney stone. I went to the doctors, told them what was going on and the clinical picture and they told me to send him out even without checking him himself. Well he went to the hospital and was admitted as he has a huge stone and they are going to have to surgically remove it.

I think we atone our assesment skills quite a bit because we don't always have a doctor around and we have to be able to know when someone needs more care than we can give and to send to the hospital. I really think that we are just as much a nurse as anyone else and you should be proud to join the ranks.

Sonya

[NurseBean73]

Hi Sonya!

Thank you! I am very excited about my future in corrections nursing and love what you said about honing our assessment skills. One of the main things my classmates were saying was how I would lose my skills but it would make sense that my assessment skills would actually become stronger. And autonomy would absolutley be a must! I knew when I went into nursing that I wouldn't be the cookie cutter nurse that most people think of. Not that the cookie cutter nurse is bad, it just isn't me. Thank goodness there are people with different strengths and interests to fill the diverse positions in nursing! I was so excited to stumble upon this forum to converse with others that have the same career interest as me!

[GrumpyRN63]

I've never worked in corrections but it has interested me from time to time. I would think corrections would be an awesome starting point, I'm sure you'll see and learn a lot, I would definitely consider you a 'real' nurse, and if others don't ---who cares what they think, good luck!!

[NurseBean73]

Thank you! I see that you are new at HH/Hospice. I am also very interested in hospice nursing and have considered volunteering or even working part time with hospice if my schedule allows. My family has benefited greatly from their services and I want to give others the same confort during their time of need. How do you feel about it so far? I know it would be hard for me to overcome the feelings I would no doubt have in the beginning but I think my past experiences with being on the family side of someone receiving hospice would be an asset.

[GrumpyRN63]

I absolutely LOVE it. I have worked in oncology for the better part of 16+ yrs, but nothing compares to home hospice and actually feeling all of my skills and experience are being used at every visit. I love the autonomy, time spent, variety of the pts/dx and homes.( the more dysfunctional, the more interesting) It's so rewarding to actually assess, evaluate, formulate a plan of care that is actually followed out. It's so amazing to work with these families and how much they take on to care for their loved one, and to help someone die a peaceful, dignified death, its truly holistic nursing. I still do floor oncology per diem just so I can run around like a chicken with no head, feel pulled in 18 directions, unable to give the care I would like-just for the fun of it all.
I was seriously considering forensic or correctional nursing, actually searched some jail jobs,but they were too far away for me. I think you are very lucky to have this opportunity, the benies should be great. Is it a male or female facility?

[NurseBean73]

Sounds like you've really found your niche! I can definately understand how it would be very rewarding. The facility I'll be working in is all male.

[busyrnandmom]

Nursebean - hello - Just my opinion, but those people won't be paying your bills, and just like they have their reasons for working where they will be, everyone is entitled to their opinions, but if that is where you want to work, I say go for it!!

anne, RNC