Correctional nurse survey

travduck, BSN, RN, CNM · Dec 1, 2009

1) What do you perceive as major concerns for the population you work with?

Access to care including out of facility care. Chronic care for chronic diseases. Testing for curable communicable diseases. Education re: medical condition; public health concerns; system access and usage.

2) What is your typical day like? (and what type of facility)

I work in a men's prison and work with inmates who need access to specialists. I come in in the morning and either go directly to clinic mode or begin preparation for a future clinic, or complete the work from a past clinic. Of course first I respond to all the messages that were left on the phone or the problems that inmates told me about on the way down the hall. In addition to these duties I track certain parameters of my patients and resolve problems associated with their care. I work closely with the Primary Care Providers (PCP) to coordinate patient care. I track the testing that is requested which involves coordination and working with other departments. I track the requested followup appointments and assure that the requested work-up is accounted for. I work with the state to make sure that all inmates that have requests for initial or followup clinics are scheduled for the appropriate clinic within a reasonable time. I coordinate inmate appointments with custody and sometime the outside facilities. I also do specialty testing of inmates who have a chronic disorder and are referred for testing before treatment. This involves interviewing and educating the inmates on the test and tracking the steps of the test and analysis as well as assuring that the PCP has the report on which to base treatment. On the side I am involved in one of the chronic care programs that coordinates with my clinic work. This involves tracking the inmates lab testing and treatment and interviews prior to clinics. This requires coordination and cooperation with the labouratory and the pharmacy and the administrater of medication. For some parameters inmates are instructed to notify me if an event does not occur and so I do interface with inmates frequently via phone or C.O. conversation. Just to keep everything interesting I work with the person in charge of completing all the state required reports of activity and attend statewide and facility meetings and teleconferences as required and requested. Then, in my down time, I respond to requests for information from other related and non related departments; notify other facilities of my patient load transfers to their facility and integrate the information that they have sent to me about any incoming inmates who will be on my patient roster. And just as I think I can go home I respond to medical emergencies to assist as needed or to riots or relieve in a department that is short handed. So I seldom have a boring day but often have a day when I wonder if I completed anything.

3) What are your job duties?

See above. I am an RN subject to all the requirements of state employed nurses including madated overtime. My duties are to care for the inmates that are assigned to my care in any of my capacities.

Hope this helps. Good luck.

umbdude, MSN, APRN · Dec 2, 2009

1) What do you perceive as major concerns for the population you work with?
Access to care including out of facility care. Chronic care for chronic diseases. Testing for curable communicable diseases. Education re: medical condition; public health concerns; system access and usage.
.........
3) What are your job duties?
See above. I am an RN subject to all the requirements of state employed nurses including madated overtime. My duties are to care for the inmates that are assigned to my care in any of my capacities.
Hope this helps. Good luck.

Hi Travduck,

Thanks. I'm not the OP, but this is very useful information. I'm taking my pre-reqs now and will apply for an ADN program in hopes of becoming a RN in a few years. I'm quite interested in Psych nursing and possibly working in a correctional facility. I have a few questions that I hope you would answer.

1) How did you get into the correctional environment? Did you start out working there right after getting your RN? And did you have to relocate for the job?

2) What do you like most and least about working in Corrections?

3) What are some of the difficulties you face dealing with inmates who have mental health issues?

4) Do you think having the credential as a Nurse Practitioner or Clinical Nurse Specialist is helpful in this subfield?

5) Do inmates act differently toward male nurses as oppose to female nurses?

Thanks in advance for your help.

travduck, BSN, RN, CNM · Dec 2, 2009

1) How did you get into the correctional environment?

Family members worked for the system, in other fields, and convinced me to check it out after a traumatic event in my chosen field had me wanting to leave nursing.

Did you start out working there right after getting your RN?

No. I started out in rural hospitals then worked in large hospitals then traveled. I became a CNM and have mostly worked in the materal/female/neonatal health field, joined correctionas 45 years.

And did you have to relocate for the job?

Yes I moved across the state. In California the system is pretty fragmented and you have to jockey for a position.

2) What do you like most and least about working in Corrections?

I like the opportunity to grow as a nurse, if you can achieve a position that allows this. I don't like the paranoa and beaurcracy that stifles abilities of caregivers to give good care, and I don't like the "kingdom building" that goes on especially among the supervisory level.

3) What are some of the difficulties you face dealing with inmates who have mental health issues?

They have to deal with an already stressful environment in shich the stigma of using psych drugs is even worse than on the outside and in which there is often minimal other than emergent care.

4) Do you think having the credential as a Nurse Practitioner or Clinical Nurse Specialist is helpful in this subfield?

No. If you want to actually work as an NP then there is a place for you - FNP or ANP seems to be the credential to get. CNS is not a credential that is seem at the local level but I think I have seen some of the state level people with that designation.

5) Do inmates act differently toward male nurses as oppose to female nurses?

Yes to the extent that you find anywhere else. If you work in a female prison you will be the target of inmates who want "favours" in exchange for favours, if you work in a male prison you will not face the sexual intimidation but other parameters will be equal to the outside. Advancement in a militarially based system is easier for a male than for a female

umbdude, MSN, APRN · Dec 7, 2009

Thank you Travduck. This is great information!

annahummer · Apr 21, 2010

Being an old ER nurse and working with officers next to me, do you find you have enough security when seeing potential dangerous inmates?