[Rubyrose]

I am a new NP grad thinking about working in a correctional facility. Will this type of setting limit my practice? My focus is primary nursing with goals of continuing for Family Nurse Practitioner. What are the benefits?

[Rvais]

I started as a new NP grad (adult health) in a maximum security female facility 10 years ago. I never felt any restrictions on my practice that were different from those imposed by the state's nurse practice act. As fact, I worked more independently than many of my friends who were in private practice or with HMO's. The work is as diverse as it gets. You will spend your days managing chronic diseases ranging from insulin dependent diabetics, to heart disease to HIV infection, caring for episodic illness as simple as a cold sore or common cold to seeing ruptured biceps tendons and other weight lifting injuries (depending on the type of facility - you may see a good deal of repetitive use/occupational health injuries), and you will deal with whiners, chronic complainers, and malingerers. I can say I've never been bored. Depending upon who is managing the health services division (whether it's a private company and or the state or local government) the benefits can be pretty good. Your malpractice insurance is usually paid and the benefit package matches that of other civil servants if the prison is still under the state's management.

[maria esther]

Dear correctional nurse

I am a student researching the participation of nurses involved in the execution of lethal injection for death penalty cases. I am having trouble finding any research wherein correctional nurses have participated. Can you help.

[AnnabelleLee]

An inmate was executed while I was working in a state prison. We staff nurses were not involved, except would have administered medication if inmate was on meds and wanted them (is that nuts or what?) I have the impression the most common arrangement is an IV team (where they are drawn from, I don't know) and the executioner -- and security staff.

[psychonurse]

In most states that are accredited with the NCCHC, the nurses that work in the facility has nothing to do with the execution. An agency nurse is usually the one that comes in and starts the IV, the medication that is given is done by machine and given in the right sequence. I hear the nurses that do that make a lot of money for that one act.

[patterisha]

hallo! im a nursing student from the Philippines working on our thesis about prison nursing. i would really appreciate it if anyone would help us by answering our inquiries about anything prison nursing-related, as we have discovered that the topic is not well-researched here (or at least we think it is) and as much as we want to pursue this topic so as to introduce the idea of working in correctional facilities to fellow nursing students, we just dont have the necessary connections nor related literature to learn from.

first off, is this the proper term to call nurses who work for correctional facilities?
second, what are the basic requirements applied in most states that interested nurses need to get to work in a correctional facility?
third, err... we'll ask more as we get along if anyone replies. =)

thank you so much!!