Common Correctional Nursing Interview Questions

I'm collecting a compendium of Interview Questions and best answers for folks prepping for a correctional nursing job interviews. Could you chime in with yours even if you might have posted elsewhere on this forum? It would be good to have them all in one place for newbies searching this site.

Thanks for all the time and effort you spend helping new correctional nurses learn the ropes!

I registered JUST to comment here and give a big THANK YOU to all those who've contributed.

I'm looking to work this field, and will add some of my own once I do.

I just had an interview in a correctional facility and these questions are almost word for word what I was asked.

dchaugen said:
The following questions are included in our oral examination for Registered Nurses:

1. Describe your background in nursing and how this will compliment the duties for a Correctional Health Nurse.

2. You will be making decisions about whether an inmate seen by you may need to see an MD. What are some factors you would consider in your decision?

3. What are some key principles of infection control?

4. An inmate/resident presents with complaints of pain in his left ear. Discuss your assessment process.

5. Manipulative behavior is very common among the inmate population. what are some nursing skills that are helpful in dealing with this behavior?6. Describe your attributes and experiences that would enhance your ability to work with a diverse population.

7. Practicing nursing in a correctional facility requires specialized skills, knowledge and work behaviors. Describe what you think they are.

Hope you find this helpful!

I just had a correctional nurse interview and these questions are almost word for word the same.

Up in Canada here - my interview at the regional medium/max facility is tomorrow. This thread has been amazing! Fingers crossed.

They also may ask a question that test your moral/religious values. Example:

A medication nurse is refusing to give the morning after drug to a pregnant inmate. What do you do?

Answer: Give it yourself. This is a sneaky way of asking if you have religious views that may conflict with your job. Like if you will refuse to treat a convicted mass murderer.

And if you have any moral/religious objections to anything then maybe you should NOT be in nursing. I have never had a job that did not conflict with my personal morals from time to time like putting a feeding tube in a brain dead 90 year old because the 75yr old daughter does not want her mom to die of natural causes.

Congratulations :-) I having been working @ a year as contract at a county jail and will soon be interviewing. Interviews are nerve-wracking for most of us I think. I am happy I have the work experience with same employers who will be interviewing and everything I have read here is great information.

Having good professional + personal boundaries a big +; in a hospital setting I would give a symptomatic low blood sugar but that would be contraband here so I make sure I have plentiful glucose tablets on hand. 'Jail-itis' springs up a lot as a common illness, weeding thru it is an art. Treat appropriately but word would travel faster than a SoCal wildfire if one were perceived as easily snowed; one OP on this site had quite a comprehensive check-list format treating a chest-pain while having 20+ standing in line for bs checks. I am going to see if I can find that one again. I handle myself quite well under pressure and been around the block a time or two (or three) I am grateful experience but I wouldn't wish it on anyone. As for pain not much different than any other setting in that no nurse ever heard anyone say '1/10' on pain scale. Amazing any of us lived through labor, eh? Anyway these questions are really helpful!

Thank you everyone. These are all very good questions. I am borrowing these for my next interviewee. Ive struggled to find good job related questions to corrections. I always find the generic ones. I have been in corrections since 2006 with a 3 year break to gain my Med/Surg/OB/ICU/ER/Hospice and LTC experience. I found corrections was my calling and where I needed to be. I have worked in big jail, Little jails, Work release, ITU and Prison Systems. They are all a bit different but one thing they all have in common is inmate care. It can be a thankless job but a rewarding one as well. We have the ability to make a huge difference in some of these inmates lives through teaching and education.

How is your interview? Cuz i have mine interview on monday for clinical 2 for correctional facilty in santa ana. Any advice.

1. What qualifications do you have that will make you successful in doing this job?

2. What computer applications do you know?

3. How did you handle a difficult situation?

4.What do you think is the difference between an acute and intermediate care to the psychiatric program of the facility?

These are some of the questions (not verbatim to what I was asked though- just rephrased based on my memory) that you can be asked to a dsh job.

Just received an offer at a jail here in Nashville! I'm so excited!

Kora0880 said:
Hello,

I just went throught the interview for one of the prisons in S. Cali. there were 5 questions:

1)Describe your experience, training, skills, education in the field of nursing

2)Case scenario: respiratory distress

3)Case scenatio: MI

4)Case scenario:CHF

5)Case scenario:Abd pain unspecified

For the most part they wanted assessment, interventions, nursing diagnosis

The interview was scheduled at 14:00, 3 hrs later I finally got to go in and complete the nerve wracking 5 Q's which took 10min. They told me it would take 2 weeks for response, 4 days later they called me to tell me I got the job. Im happy.....Good luck to everyone

This post helped me so much! I just got done with an interview at an N. California prison for a FT position, and the questions were similar to this along with a couple other scenarios mentioned in different posts. I want to thank all of you who have contributed to this form, I went through the interview feeling very confident because of you. They mentioned that it may take a couple weeks to hear back, I'm hoping to hear back some positive news!!

A week later I got the call that I got hired, so excited! Thanks again to all of the posters here.

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