A typical day of state prison RN

DesertRN2, MSN, APRN · Oct 17, 2012

Here is a brief synopsis: 6a-2p

Arrive at post after signing in at front entrance and getting keys and alarm from control

Count needles, syringes, and narcotics

Receive report from previous shift , generally 4-7 pts in infirmary

Clean up previous shift mess (their mothers apparently do not come to work with them)

Check blood sugars on diabetics, prepare and admin insulin prn as breakfast arrives

Complete rounds to include assessments and vital signs on all patients

Huddle with assigned MD and discuss patients, transfers, procedures, surgical returns, etc.

Morning med pass

Chart all assessments and patient cares

numerous interruptions, play secretary, staff locator, answer phones, play operator

complete any dressing changes/treatments

lunchtime blood sugars / insulin

noon meds

admits/discharges (sometimes 2-3 or 4)

chart

afternoon meds, order meds, supplies, restock supplies

count and report for oncoming shift

RN Rover · Oct 20, 2012

I also work in the infirmiry, but evening shift 2-10 pm.

My shift is similar to above poster: get through security gates, chit out keys, chit out shank vest, get report, count narcotics, check orders paying special attention to medication orders, check in on my patients- anywhere from 2-8 inmate/patients with an average of 4-5. We have mental health crisis beds so are usually assigned to either medical or psych, but sometimes get a couple of each.

I then do physical or visual/verbal assessments. If I have psych patients they are on hourly behavior checks or q 15 min suicide watch, maybe even have a guy in restraints. I chart, do medication pass, chat, administer treatments like dressing changes, chart some more, chat some more, maybe get a couple of admits or might have a discharge at beginning of shift. In between all this I'm answering the phone, taking call offs from other nurses, working on endless staff development educational requirments, filling out refusal forms, calling the on call MD or psychiatrist and putting in phone orders, pulling medications from night locker for nurses in other parts of facility. At the end of shift there is a change of shift form we have to fill out, lastly I count narcs and sharps, return keys and vest and report off to oncoming RN. We also have a lot of potlucks!

ThinkAgain · Oct 28, 2012

THANK YOU VERY MUCH TO BOTH OF YOU

delilas · Nov 3, 2012

I work at a very large state female prison (close to 3,000 inmates, ranging from low security to death row).

I swing between first and second shift as our "Nurse 1" role, so I'll give my basics :)

I come in, trade chits and keys, radio check control from my responder radio, and check out my bags. We have two bags of emergency equipment we take to every emergency call - it includes a suction machine, AED, emergency OB kit, and an assortment of bandages and vital sign equipment. I have to verify everything is in working order.

Sick call usually starts about an hour into my shift, so for the first hour, I check to make sure I have all the carts I need and check on the Nurse 2, who is in the infirmary, to see if she needs anything.

For the majority of the day, I work in Nurse Sick Call. Inmates who have a medical complaint kite in and are scheduled to see a nurse. In 6 hours (discounting the hour at the start of shift and one hour at 11am for count when all inmates return to their beds) I am expected to see 20 inmates.

During this time, I also take any emergency calls that come in. With this many women, it's not uncommon to have 4 to 10 emergencies per shift, which can really delay and/or set back my nurse sick calls. I have to respond to any emergency within four minutes.

Today, in no particular order, I saw: 2 seizures, 1 chest pain, 1 inmate who fell down the stairs, and 1 dislocated shoulder. Overall, it was a fairly mild day all things considered! We had a bad few weeks in September that included multiple overdoses on benzos thanks to a dirty CO.

I'm agency, not state, albeit I work full time there. A full shift on first shift for us is 6 RNs and 7 LPNs. On 2nd shift, it's 4 RNs and 4 LPNs. On third shift, we normally skelly crew it with 2 RNs (3 on a really good day). We're also staffed with 3 doctors and 3 nurse practitioners, and a 3-day-a-week xray/mammo tech.

On second shift, it's largely the same routine, minus any doctor's to assist us, plus we have some paperwork responsibilities like pulling/entering in the day's orders and triaging medical kites. 2nd shift also has the responsibility of visiting segregation and doing Sick Call there.

Our facility is definitely a little different, but that many women and that many security levels makes for an intricate system.