OITNB AKA Orange is the New Black

Specialties Psychiatric

Published Jun 27, 2016

vintagemother, BSN, CNA, LVN, RN

2,717 Posts

Specializes in Critical Care, Med-Surg, Psych, Geri, LTC, Tele,.

Hello My Psych Nurse Online Friends....

(I hope that this post is ok here, rather than the blue side)

I started watching OITNB last year. As we all know, tv shows tend to be unrealistic.

However, while watching this show, I often wonder, "Just how realistic is it?"

I worked as a psych nurse and really enjoyed my work. I learned a lot about the suffering these residents endure. I learned a lot about "best practices" on how to help them.

My work wasn't truly forensic psych; however, we had a ton of clients who had committed crimes (murder included).

As I watch this show, I am upset about the blatant disregard for basic human rights. (Eg officers sexually abusing inmates and providing drugs, eg not allowing inmates to sleep for days on end. Eg forcing inmates to defecate themselves)

I often wonder, "is this how psych pts are treated in a true correctional system?" It breaks my heart to think that the inmates who have psych problems could actually be treated this way.

Anyhow, I wonder if anyone on AN could speak to these issues.

Is OITNB realistic? I have a male friend who was incarcerated who tells me that much of the "abuse" I think I saw is indeed normal in prison.