Correctional nursing like ER?

crn16 · Oct 20, 2010

Medical is different in a county jail because they are coming right in from the streets before they go to state or federal. Many of them receive minimal to no health care on the outside so we have to stablize them. Not only is their health poor, many of them are detoxing, which can be a nightmare. Many of them are also suicidal at the begining of their incarceration, on average we have 1-2 suicide attempts per month. The suicide attempts are usually hanging from the top bunk or jumping from the 2nd tier.

JessicRN · Oct 21, 2010

I worked Corrections for 7 years before I came back to ED nursing and the one thing I became was very adept at my assessments. I had decide if that inmates pain was real enough to warrant a trip to the hospital or if I could manage him inhouse. Unescessary transports put the officers at risk. I did sick call in the AM and had to decide if I could treat the patient or if I needed to make an MD appt. I did alot of other things but I think that is what made me a better ED nurse as I could recognize a patient was going sour before he crumped and sometimes prevent it. I still drew blood and did IVs just like an ER. I did procedures like EKGS and dressing changes,suture removal cathertizations etc., and managed Trauma pts or acutely ill patients until an ambulance arrived. I also gave out pills and managed pts who were psych and suicidal. Sound like what you do in an ER, about 75%

savnlivzPRN, LVN · Oct 21, 2010

Awesome sauce...

Thanks Jess!