Corizon

Ashley02 · May 3, 2013

How do you pass meds on 150 inmates? Wow! I am working in LTC, and I want to get out. It takes me two to three hours to pass meds on 35 patients! I was thinking about corrections, now I am hesitant. Are you all short of staff, or is this the norm for a corrections RN?

Well, the offenders come to you. You don't have to make rounds. So they're released house by house and you just look at the MAR, pop their pills, hand them to them in a cup.

daugh · May 21, 2013

I work for Corizon in MO. It is like every other company, there are good things and bad. 1 nurse can pass medication to 400, it is not easy. Psych meds and a list of others medication are watch take, some a liquefy.

Austin12 · May 23, 2013

I work for Corizon. I'm glad most people enjoy it. I honestly haven't enjoy it. We try to give 10 dollar care on a 10cent budget. The retention rate is low. They've nickled and dimed which there us a need because they bidded so low to get the contract. In return, we practice unsafely. We work under staffed and custody has no faith in medical with exception of some nurses.

Erikadawn RN · May 29, 2013

Lol custody always has something to say about the nurses, until one of them needs our help. It is like that in every facility I ever worked with. They constantly grumble about how much the nurses make. I have even heard, we could get a raise if it wasn't for the nurses pay. Don't worry about them just do your job. I worked for Cms before it became Corizon, I liked the tuition reimbursement, it helped me to move from Lpn to R.N. Yes I have passed meds to over 400 inmates.

wyogypsy, RN · May 30, 2013

One of the main differences that I see between passing meds in LTC vs. corrections is that each inmate does not get 3 vitamins, 5 minerals, 2 nutritional supplements, multiple bowel meds, etc. Most of them are not confused and either take their meds or they don't. You don't sit there for 10 minutes trying to get them to swallow the med or coaxing them to take it, or hiding it in food. Inmates don't have 17 pills that they can only take 'one at a time, dear'. The other thing is that even though some of the inmates are getting older, it is not entirely an elderly population. Though I dearlly love elderly patients, they are much slower do do things, they have their little 'routines', they have to go to the bathroom before they can take their meds, etc. Unfortunately most LTC facilities give each nurse about twice the number of patients they should be caring for, and work you to death.

valzRN, ASN, RN · Jun 17, 2013

Do they not use agency nurses? Corizon is supposed to be taking over our facility and I was just wondering if they used agency or do they just use their people?

I work for Corizon. I'm glad most people enjoy it. I honestly haven't enjoy it. We try to give 10 dollar care on a 10cent budget. The retention rate is low. They've nickled and dimed which there us a need because they bidded so low to get the contract. In return, we practice unsafely. We work under staffed and custody has no faith in medical with exception of some nurses.

LTCnewbie45 · Jul 3, 2013

Just gave my 2 week notice with LTC and going into a state facility. Looking forward to it.

Never worked in it but always up for new adventures and advancement. Talked to many that work in it and they love it.

I hate leaving the residents. Worry about them all the time. Always go back in for my 3-12s nightshift to find more flagged charts for Falls, p/u, uti, dehydration and etc......) Always the same daynurse and aides they occur with. I only have 3 cnas at night with 60 and 2 chg nurses. They blame it on census BUT when a cna calls in the Nurses taking call has to come in and pull the 8 hour CNA shift (yes they have to pay us our salary). So the census (which means #$) is BS. We do have certain CNAs that call in all the time, caught sleeping, walk away from their assigned residents and will even cuz out the nurse in charge (written up x10) BUT still employed (DON excuses it).

Life is too short and I worked too hard for my license (yes got co-workers that will try to set ya up for the fall) SO I am moving on. Things do happen for a reason and I am not ignoring it this time. Accepting I can't make people change I can only change the situation.

westcoastguy · Jul 21, 2013

I'm just curious if they accept new grad like me

I am LVN and I'm from Cali. Thanks:)

mlbluvr · Jul 23, 2013

Interesting philosophy, than it in the field of so-called 'corrections', that you all refer to the inmates as 'offenders'. That's a great daily boost to their self esteem, a good way to promote 'corrections', and to help people move on past their trangressions. Not to mention, also, we all know that only truly guilty people are in prisons, right? Because in America, innocent people are never put in prison, no way. Aside from that I just got an unsolicited email from a prison contract nursing agency, telling me they are recruiting for Wasco and Pelican Bay. I almost wet my pants. I cannot fathom being locked up in a prison for 8 hours a day, for any amount of money. Also- where did they get my real name, my email address, and my license type? Privacy rights, my orifice.

mlbluvr · Jul 28, 2013

UH-OH! I was just sent another link, to CA state prison system healthcare. I opened it. I almost fell off my chair. LVN starting pay at Folsom is up to $4300/month, with $4000 in bonuses during the first 9 months, 14 paid holidays, plus PTO and vacation and etc.? And over $5000/month in the Bay area slammers? Maybe it's time to hit the BIG HOUSE, after all? I guess money talks, but I can't figure out where it comes from since CA is already about 20 billion in debt??

wyogypsy, RN · Jul 28, 2013

Interesting philosophy, than it in the field of so-called 'corrections', that you all refer to the inmates as 'offenders'. That's a great daily boost to their self esteem, a good way to promote 'corrections', and to help people move on past their trangressions. Not to mention, also, we all know that only truly guilty people are in prisons, right? Because in America, innocent people are never put in prison, no way. Aside from that I just got an unsolicited email from a prison contract nursing agency, telling me they are recruiting for Wasco and Pelican Bay. I almost wet my pants. I cannot fathom being locked up in a prison for 8 hours a day, for any amount of money. Also- where did they get my real name, my email address, and my license type? Privacy rights, my orifice.

First of all, you generalize and say 'you all' call them offenders. If you would read the posts again, most of us call them inmates. Those that call them offenders call them that because that is what their state has told them to call them, it is not a personal choice.

I do not think you should apply for a job at a prison even though the pay is good. Based on your posts, it is doubtful that you will like it or that you would be successful at it. There must be a specialty in nursing that you like, why not work in that area? Many nursing jobs, especially in CA, have a high rate of pay.

Correctional nursing is a speciaty in itself. Like any other area of nursing, there is the good and the bad. The majority of nurses that work in corrections do it because that is the specialty area that we like. We are professionals, and are proud of the job that we do in spite of people like you who put us down because we provide medical and mental health care to inmates.

Where do nursing agencies get your infomaton? Regardless of which area of nursing they are recruiting for, I would bet they got it from your State Board of Nursing. There are no nursing registries or agencies that contract only to prisons. Visit their website and you will see all of the areas of nursing that they are recruiting for.

avahnel, ASN, RN · Aug 1, 2013

I work in MO at a jail, but I call my patients....patients. I love my job and the challenge of the population that I choose to work with. I do pass meds in Pods, and I go to the patients. I take a med cart with my MARs and patient specific meds. We also have a large selection of stock medications. I check every patient's mouth regardless of what they are taking. I received a $2.50 raise from what I was receiving at the hospital. What I did not realize that I would also would be gaining is autonomy. I am trusted to use my nursing judgement everyday, and I believe that this job is preparing me for becoming a FNP in the future.