[HM2Viking]

Read Games Criminals Play. Inmates run games for years to set staff up. The most important thing to remember (IMO) is to have a clean team process and NEVER do special favors. Everything must be team approved.

[HM2Viking]

Prisons have a rehabilitative function not just punishment.

[Tamsin]

Randy,

It is impossible to reason with the elite intelligentsia -- and those who imagine themselves to belong to that category. You are bucking a whole lot of intellectual dishonesty in this thread.

There are three broad categories of nurses who work in corrections: Those who do so out of a sense of calling to minister to the condemned, those who suffer from an inferiority complex and can only feel superior in the company of the condemned --- and those who can't get hired anyplace else, for varied and sundry reasons.

You are right to express compassion toward inmates. I know you also set firm boundaries. So do I. Just ignore the turkeys.

[morte]

sympathy belongs in NO venue of nursing, empathy-yes, sympathy no

[sharrie]

This thread has been closed for staff review

[sharrie]

There is were some very good discussions taking place in this thread, both on and off topic but the off topic discussions had begun to take over.

Even though those discussions do have value they have only served to derail this thread.

All offtopic discussions have been removed, and the thread re-opened.

[RN Randy]

Originally Posted by cscott1

As a Christian, as a human being and as a nurse, I feel I must comment [snip]
Yet, even the worst inmate is still human and feels all the emotions, pains and hopes that we in the free world feel.
Isn't it our job, our calling as nurses to assist people to achive their maxium state of wellness be that physical or emotional? How can we accomplish this if we veiw our patients as sub-human or second class?
Now, I am not advocating that we become "best friends" with our inmates, rather that we see them as fellow human beings [snip]
I suppose that all I'm saying is let's remember that all of (including my self) have made bad choices and stupid mistakes. Lets not be too quick to judge and condem. After all the truth between an inmates version and the courts may lie some where in the middle.

The original topic appears to be about a lack of compassion, empathy, sympathy, and a humane, objective view of an inmate. I've already put my 2 cents in on that subject...
Since all of my posts were removed, I don't get email alerts so I had to post again as I enjoy the humor of the thread progression. Sorry this isn't useful... and PLEASE, don't reply to this.
thanks!
rb

[zoeboboey]

Originally Posted by cscott1

I suppose that all I'm saying is let's remember that all of (including my self) have made bad choices and stupid mistakes. Lets not be too quick to judge and condem. After all the truth between an inmates version and the courts may lie some where in the middle.

Great post.

I might add that people can soft-pedal their own misdeeds by pointing at other people - we gotta remember that we all, to some degree, have faults and have hurt other people in one way or another. For example, I sure would not assume that "all inmates are dishonest in all ways" but I also wouldn't assume that "all nurses are honest in all ways". And etc.

I am glad that you can treat them with a little dignity and respect - after all it's your attitude that might get them to start looking at how life COULD be ... how they COULD change ... they may end up sharing something w/ you that could actually enable you to help them.

Yes my personality test indicates that I am an idealist, LOL - oh well

"We all make choices in life and sometimes they are not good choices. As a result we must deal with the consequences of our choices whether bad or good and sometimes the consequences are prison. Now is a good time to take the steps to learn from the past and start learning to make choices that won't land you in prison if you get out. We have many programs to help you with this if you're interested you can kite mental health for the programs and we can work with you on these issues".

That sounds awesome!

[PHNJaymee]

Wow... this is great material. I have an interview as a correctional nurse in a Ca. Prison in about 2 weeks. Very interesting stuff about nurse/inmate relations, and it's definitely making me think. It's hard to find stuff on correctional nursing, and you sure don't learn much about it in school (besides the basic mental health stuff). It's like we're taught to care, and be non-judgmental, but that sounds tough in corrections. I'm gathering that it IS possible to have a nurse/inmate relation (how could you completely not?).. as long as you stick to the boundaries... and keep up the guard. Wow, my head will be tossing all night! Great info though... I'm going to read all these correctional threads.. Thank you!