Anyone work for the Bureau of Prisons??

[TerriRene]

Hi!

I wondered if there is anyone out there who currently works for the Bureau of Prisons. I would like feedback on the environment within the Federal Government facilities.

Thanks :)

[renerian, BSN, RN]

I have never worked for a prison as I was so intimidated the one time I had to go get fingerprinted there for a job.......creeped me out. The agencies all staff them here and they pay is good. I would like to hear from some nurses who have done this so I was a little more informed about what a typical day is or is not, maybe what type of things you usually go.......

I will keep an eye on the posts for this........good thread.

renerian

[LPN & EMT-CT]

Hey yall,

I work in a correctional center for males but not in the federal system in the state system. The usual day is kinda of dependant on where exactly you work, usually you count the controlled drugs, count the syringes, needles, and tools that are locked up, and then start pouring your meds for the day. Do some sick call ( see the inmates who have put in a request to see the nurse or doc for a medical complaint) they have to see the nurse before seeing the doc. After that go dispense meds either at a pill window or go to the building with a correctional officer. After that sign out your meds, eat some lunch if your lucky and help the doc see pt's and handle emergencies throughout the day and by that time it's time to count again the needles, tools and controled substances with the oncoming shift. That is about it in a nut shell for like day shift.

Hope this helps, I've always heard that the Federal Gov. pays a lot more but I'm not the one to travel to far to where I want to work:)

[renerian, BSN, RN]

We have three state prisions in this area that are staffed and supposidly they do alot of IVs, PICC and other procedures. Do you ever run into someone who needs those services and what do you do?

renerian

[TerriRene]

I have a friend who works for a large state prison in Kansas. They have an infimary within the Maximum security prison. Within the infirmary they have patients on IV medications and several of these patients have a PIC line. These patients are isolated from the general population and kept together in the infirmary for the duration of their IV therapy. Within this same facility several patients have been diagnosed with renal failure and the nurses administer dialysis to them several times a week. I would be receptive to working within the state system except that the Federal system has better benefits and pay.

[renerian, BSN, RN]

Thanks for the information. I am a chicken. I would be scared someone would break and try to hurt me........hold me hostage. Is there always a gaurd in there? Probably sounds stupid.

renerian

[NancyRN]

I've never done prison nursing, renerian, but when was the last time we heard about a prisoner hurting a nurse? I'm willing to bet you'd be safe :)

[renerian, BSN, RN]

Seems true I am just a chickennnnnnnnnnnnn.........LOL.

renerian

[TerriRene]

I have not heard of any prisoners hurting nurses. However I have heard of nurses being extremely "prisoner friendly" and ending up being manipulated by prisoners.

[psychonurse]

It depends on where you are working, we always have an officer when we are seeing the inmates and we are never alone with them. Most of the time the inmates are pretty respectful of the nurses cause if they have a long time to do, they have to have the same nurses taking care of them for a long period of time and they don't want you to get mad at them. There are also nurses that get manipulated by inmates but many times that happens when things aren't going right in your home life and you let out a little too much to the inmates and they worm thier way into your life. You just need to be really careful what you say to them make sure that there is noone in hearing distance when you say something about your outside life. I have been in corrections for 13 years and I wouldn't do anything else.

[LPN & EMT-CT]

There is always a correctional officer when we see our inmates or dispense meds. Just like psychonurse said they are pretty respectful except the new inmates and they learn very, very quickly that there are two things they don't you know with while they are inside, the nursing staff because if they get hurt they got to come to us with their medical problem and also food service, because you don't know who is fixing your food:devil:

Ive been in corrections for 5 years now and I have learned a lot and a lot more to learn, but you can never show an inmate that you are intimated or scared, they will attack you like a wolf on a injured rabbit and are relentless. Inmates will always try you when you first go into the system, but after you let them know you are there to stay and they can't run you off, you typically don't have a problem with them.