CORRECTIONAL NURSING

Specialties Correctional

Published

I am considering a position as a correction

nurse in a male facility. Want to know the pros and cons of this type of nursing.

Thanks for any info you can provide

Be clear on your boundaries. Treat with respect and give respect ..but do not take any garbage...name calling ect.

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This is my first post. I am a correctional nurse. I know stuff. Been doing it for awhile. If you have questions, I will do my best to give you realistic answers.

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Specializes in Behavioral, correctional, med surg.

I really enjoy correctional nursing. Where I work not only does it help to have an ER background but you need psych nursing also. One of our newer nurses came from a NICU and is doing wonderfully because she was interested in psych. Also it is a safer job than most people believe. In my city you are much less likely to get hurt in the jail than in the local ER or psych hospital.

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I have been a corretions nurse for a few years. If you get comfortable its time to leave, if you ever think you know all the games cons can play its time to leave, if you don't have confidence in your assessment skills this is not the place for you, if you don't have very sharp emergency skills not the place. This is not the place to begin a nursing career.

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I have been a corretions nurse for a few years. If you get comfortable its time to leave, if you ever think you know all the games cons can play its time to leave, if you don't have confidence in your assessment skills this is not the place for you, if you don't have very sharp emergency skills not the place. This is not the place to begin a nursing career.
Well said Jailhouse RN....this is very good advice for anyone interested in Correctional Nursing..been nursing in Jail for a few years myself...
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Specializes in Behavioral, correctional, med surg.

I agree, it's not a place for a new nurse right out of school.

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Do correctional nurses have to be RN's or can they be LPN's? I'm a new LPN grad and correctional nursing sounds interesting to me.

Hey there,

I'm an LPN and got into Corrections with only 6 months experience, to boot! It was scary at first, but I have to admit, I absolutely love it! It's true about what they say. Never the same, never boring! It can be scary though, especially when you're new. Inmates will ask you all sorts of questions, and will try to see how far they can go in getting what they want, so watch out! I was a big softie at first, but I'm learning to weed out the lies from the truth (your assessment skills have to be good) and to be tough when they want something and can't have it. They rant and rave and throw tantrums that would put any two-year old to shame. The fact is, when they do ask, they know already, what the answer is.

If you do get into corrections, best of luck! You'll love it and it will be an exciting experience, and a great learning experience, even if you learn that Corrections isn't for you.

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I am considering picking up some corrections shifts at a woman's prison.

Can I ask what type of things you do during the day? I know I most definately do not want to do cavity searches.

renerian

Don't worry, cavity searches are a physician or NP intervention. As a nurse, you won't have to do them.

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This is my first post. I am a correctional nurse. I know stuff. Been doing it for awhile. If you have questions, I will do my best to give you realistic answers.

I have been in corrections for about 5 years, our medical department is having budget problems. Do you have any suggestions about saving costs in a department. Our Inmates have become more ill just over a few years, it seem that they bring in only sick ones. All have one problem or another.

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Specializes in Behavioral, correctional, med surg.

Sicker and sicker inmates are the trend. Long past are the days when the typical inmate is young and healthy. The average age is getting older and older. The rising costs are a sign that your community is not dealing well in the areas of the mentally ill and the indigent.

The only answer is good preventative care and maintenance. Manage problems before they become so serious that the inmate is ICU material.

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I am considering a position as a correction

nurse in a male facility. Want to know the pros and cons of this type of nursing.

Thanks for any info you can provide

I've worked in Correctional Nursing for about 7 years. I've always worked in Max Security Male Institutions. I think one of the Pros is that you have more autonomy as far as care decisions/treatment (within the framework of standing orders and protocols at times). One of the biggest cons is that you have to practice within the framework of the Prison model. This means that you can't at times be as caring and concerned as you are used to being. I've done many other types of nursing which is a benefit to this field and I think that if you don't have any other experience or excellent assessment skills, this would be a difficult field. As one of my fellow correctional nurses' has said, "You need to be part detective (to figure out the truth of the Inmate's health claim) and part nurse."

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Hi I am so glad some of you have given indepth thoughts about this area of nursing.I have lately considered working at a Womens Correctional Facility.I have never worked in one before but I am a 12.9 yr nurse and a minister.I have

worked over and over with people in all walks of life including homeless/shelter/womens shelter folks.I have notice this.Some folks harm themselves by their actions and are no harm to you but some hate the world.Sad but true.I wonder what its like to care for this kind and do you ever feel comfortable with it.I read a report today that says Correctional Nurses can get callous due to the enviroment being so far from the nursing sector.What are opinions on this from those of you who are doing this now?

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