Advice for student?

Tha's really exciting, we don't have an option to do any placements in our prisons in the UK.

I can't offer any advice which would be of use but please let us know about your expereince as a student in a correctional facility

Well I guess I am the first student here to do a placement in corrections as well. The placement coordinator said they have to draw up a new contract and everything which is great for me! I'm really looking forward to the placement and will definitely let you know how it went. (I don't start until mid-Sept though:( )

Nothing?

Hi Becky. I would really like to email and share information. I was really excited when I received your e-mail. However, I'm technically challenged :typingand did not know how to reply to your message as it was a private message and I did not see a spot where I could reply to a thread. I went into your private profile and did not see any contact information. Which reminded me that I need to go in and put in my profile. I hope you get this message... let me know. In the meantime, I'm going to go in and try to do my profile.:typing

Hi Becky. I would really like to email and share information. I was really excited when I received your e-mail. However, I'm technically challenged :typingand did not know how to reply to your message as it was a private message and I did not see a spot where I could reply to a thread. I went into your private profile and did not see any contact information. Which reminded me that I need to go in and put in my profile. I hope you get this message... let me know. In the meantime, I'm going to go in and try to do my profile.:typing

Until you have 5 posts you can not use the pm system. We do however ask that posts are meaningful

Hi everyone,

I am a fourth year nursing student about to start my final placement before graduation :) I just found out I got my requested placement in the local jail!! I'm really excited but I wondered if there is anything I should know before going in or any tips anyone can give me so I can get the most out of my placement? Any help would be much appreciated!

How big is the jail? Has the person who hired you, given you any details as to what your job description & duties would be? I would guess you would be doing bookings, taking care of the intoxicated, or under the influence type of person,,etc...etc....I've only done corrections, in a prison setting,so I'm guessing on the jail setting of course. :wink2:

Hi,

I'm a final year nursing student over in Scotland in the UK. I just finished my elective placement in my local jail in June. Obviously there will be huge differences between what you will experience and what i did... i only know what i have seen on tv about jails across the water! I absolutely loved my placement. I spent time with practitioner nurses, mental health nurses and addictions nurses. I learned loads. I also felt safe the whole time. Where i was placed you have a personal alarm on you and there are officers everywhere - although you may be alone with prisoners during treatment. I really hope you get as much out of your time in jail as i did! Good luck!

I don't know what your background is pre-nursing scholl, but go in with your eyes wide open. I don't regret working in the jails and value the experience. The custody staff will have a much different perspective than you as a nurse, but valuable too. There are lots of ways to con a new nurse and the inmates (and some custody staff) will definately try. It can be an invasive feeling to go into a pod of 300 male inmates some who haven't seen a woman for a very long time. Gaurd against the spirtiual attacks, they are thick in the jails. One must build a wall around themselves, but not loose compassion. Compassion can be preserved by trying to understand the many factors in the making of a criminal. Objectivity can be preserved by learning the cons tricks, inmates backgrounds and realizing that even cons, thieves, drug addicts, child molesters, wife/husband/child beaters, and white collar criminals have medical/psychological issues that need addressing. In the eyes of the administrators, our role as nurses was to prevent and incident in which the county/jail could be sued and not much more. One more tip: Criminals can be on both sides of the law. Go in with your eyes open.

Hi everyone!

Just wanted to let those who replied to my post know that I have completed my placement in corrections here. I absolutely LOVED it! I have to say though, it was nothing like I thought it would be lol (too many movies? I dont know) Anyway I'm thinking of applying for a position there and have recommended that the school put this on the list of placements available so that more students go there.:)

Sorry this is the first time that I have seen this post and I am sorry that I didn't see before. We have been having student nurses in our facility off and on for about 3 years. We not only have nurses from the community college ADN program but the state program for BSNs. We let them do a lot of things under the instruction of one of our nurses. We usually have one nurse do the mentoring of the students. They give TB skin tests, insulin, help with the infirmary and watch sick call. When there is time they will even go in and watch the practitioners doing clinic. We also have them spend time with the mental health people so that they know what they do. They sit in on thier counseling sessions and other aspects of that area.

I work in a state facility and the nurses really like to work with us. When I was a student we never got to work out there and I would have loved it. I might have started my career with corrections earlier and I could have retired sooner. I had no idea what an interesting area of nursing it can be. I am glad that you enjoyed your time in corrections and I hope that you think about giving us a chance after you graduate in a year after you get some med/surg experience. There is another post somewhere that discusses that.

Sonya