Am I the only one?

[cchezem15]

So at the beginning of this month I started my first nursing job at the county jail where I live. I absolutely love it! The only issue I have is that I feel that I am only one of the very few that feel like IM should be treated with some sort of dignity. I see some of my co-workers constantly talk down to the IM and degrade them in ways that are sometimes not obvious to the IM. I understand that some of these people are in jail for very horrible things, but as a nurse I thought we were supposed to leave our judgements at the door and do our job. Also at the end of the day, these people are humans just like me and you.

So am I the only one who thinks this way? Or am I just crazy?

[sapphire18]

Not crazy. I don't work corrections but I agree with you 100% here. I have also been a psych patient so it hurts and angers me when I hear coworkers and other staff talking about psych patients/ODs/suicide attempts the way that they do.

So no, you are not the only one.

[NottaSpringChik, BSN, RN]

No, you are not the only one. Some of our coworkers can be very punitive. Why they want to work with a patient population they generally despice is curious.

You have to speak up to say what you see as wrong and do what is right for the patient. This will not win you any popularity contests as a nurse no matter where you work. The boundaries between custody and care will always present challenge though. They are not easy companions.

[cchezem15]

It is good to hear that I am not the only one. I do understand at times that you do have to be tough with some of the IMs, but the majority of the time they treat me with respect, so I do the same. I also find others that I work with do not take time out to do simple teaching, because in their minds what they say will not have an effect, but the 100th time you tell them something it might just stick.

[jcgrund]

I feel the same way. I was working in an E.R. once and a coworker commented on a patient that had attempted to OD. She went on and on saying how this young person should have "just done it," and was "just whining" and was "wasting everyone's time." I went into the room behind her and saw a person that I knew. It was a friend of mine. It may be difficult not to become jaded, but we must remember that everyone is someone's friend, daughter, son, sister, brother, or something.

[katiehydrangea]

I did my clinicals at a unit in a correctional institution and went home a couple of nights in tears and it was mostly due to the way the nurses, doctors and gaurds were treating the patients/IMs. It was frustrating but knew that I was giving the best compasionate care that I could. Sometimes the only thing you can do is be an example and others will notice what happens with good care.

I am going for an interveiw next week for a postition in a supermax prison and don't know much about the position but I am guessing that the job with provide a wide range of conditions and good skills experience.

[cchezem15]

I will say that it is a great job with a lot of things you can do (especially me being a LVN) I love the people I work with and everything. I do not know how a prison is, but I feel very comfortable being in the jail and not worried for my safety one bit.

[sunshines66, BSN]

Hmm, it is sad but there are people that can not control their tongue. I have never been like that in front of patients. I understand some are very frustrated with the systems in place. I know as an observer to many who attempt suicide then are out of the hospital and the care they need in a couple of days, instead of some intensive in patient therapy followed by outpatient therapy would do better.