Are Male RNs or BSNs Preferred for State Prisons?

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I just got a letter of employment inquiry for a full-time RN position at a California state prison. It caught me by surprise because I just passed the assessment test online with a 85% three weeks ago. I know this doesn't mean anything. My ranking is 3/15. The letter says if I am not contacted within 4 weeks after the post date of my acceptance of the inquiry, it can be assumed another canidate was selected for the position. The reason I ask if male nurses are preferred for state prison jobs is because:

1. I never applied for vacanices after I took the assessment and still haven't, and I still got a letter.

2. My girlfriend passed the assessment test with an 85% in June 2011 and applied for all the vacancies in Norcal prisons and only got a letter of inquiry just a couple of weeks ago and only for a part-time job. She's an old new grad with minimal experience and has a ADN. I'm a new grad with minimal experience and have a BSN.

3. One of my classmates from my NCLEX review class in the spring passed the assessment test and got a letter within 3 weeks also. He was hired for a part-time position at a California state prison within a month. He's an immigrant new grad from the Phillipines with no experience but has a BSN.

So do any of you who work in corrections know if they prefer male RNs for state prison positions? Or do you think it has to do more with having a BSN?

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Specializes in u name it.

I cannot speak for Cali, but I worked at private owned prison with state of Texas offenders and I did all the hiring for 3 years, The state of Texas does not care if you are male or female, ASN or BSN. I have hired nurses right out of school and seasoned nurses too. Having a nurse who is male is always a good thing in a male offender population. I would always make sure that my nurses who are male would witness any nursing care or assessment which necessitated the offender removing his clothes, exam of private parts, etc. It lowers the risk of sexual abuse claims against the nurse when a nurse of each gender is involved. Offenders are notorious for using the current PREA (Prison Rape Elimination Act) laws to manipulate the system for their own gain. Check further back in this forum..I know I have read about correction nurses in Cali. Good luck!!

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Specializes in Acute Care Psych, DNP Student.

There should be no preference male v. female. I do believe more male nurses are attracted to correctional nursing for various reasons. I can tell you my DON prefers BSN nurses.

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Thanks for the responses. I just saw on the news yesterday that there was a riot at Sac state prison in Repressa /Folsom which is the instituition that sent me the employment inquiry. It was their second riot this year. It took them 10 minutes to get it under control and they had to fire rubber bullets at the inmates to make them stop because the pepper spray wasn't doing the job. Maybe they have a high turnover rate over there because it's a level IV facility with difficult inmates and riots.

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Specializes in Emergency Department.

The Corrections Officers at the "New Folsom Prison" didn't just fire rubber bullets and use pepper spray. Some live "real" bullets were also fired and some inmates did get shot. None have died however. They don't have 150 inmate riots very often...

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Specializes in Acute Care Psych, DNP Student.

You know it's a bad day in correctional nursing when the officers yell at you to get out of the line of fire.

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So they do hire new RN grads with BSN's?

I have several friends that are lieutenant Officers in the Central Valley and wanted to work at the California Mens Colony in San Luis Obispo as an RN after I graduate. Is that possible? or do I have to have years of experience?

Please let me know.

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Specializes in Emergency Nursing.

Most prisons I know of prefer LPNs as a majority staff.

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Specializes in Addiction / Pain Management.

Agreed, I'm a brand new LPN as well as a 42 yrs old male.

As soon as the state of Florida processes the paperwork, I'm employed.

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Specializes in Hospice, corrections, psychiatry, rehab, LTC.

I am a DON in a western state. I don't have a BSN myself, and that is not a consideration when I hire nurses. I am more interested in the applicant's background and personal traits. Sex is not a determining factor either. In some situations male nurses are preferable, in others females are. In most situations it makes no difference. It has more to do with the way the nurse interacts with inmates.

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Hi,

Glad to hear that you're interested in correctional nursing, I've been at CMC for about 3 years now, and I can tell you that they do hire new grads, but not a lot. just like most other places, they want experienced nurses. I started as a registry nurse and rolled over to state service after "getting in" with my bosses. If you can get your LVN you can also get in that way, we have LVNs that get their RNs then promote. There is good news though, the state is building a medical facility in Stockton for CDCR's ill and aging population that will need more than 400 nurses by next year (California Health Care Facility – Stockton) Also, we are building a Psych facility here at CMC that is suppost to open at the end of the year that will require us to hire more nurses. Don't give up and good luck!

Pranqster

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In California we don't hire CNA's (I wish we did!)

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