Correctional Orientation

[KansasNurseD]

I just accepted a prn job working as an RN in a max security prison. I'll be floating between clinic, infirmary, and emergency calls. All of my experience up to this point has been ED. How did most of your orientations go? Did you have a specific preceptor, what was the length of orientation, did you feel prepared? I'm not sure exactly what to ask for in the way of training- I catch on fast, but corrections is new to me and I want to be prepared. Thanks!

[Thirdwatch]

If you're lucky, you'll get proper orientation. No precepters. Just an orientation to the way things are done in prison. I was the only permanent person in infermary and often got new nurses that I had show them how to do verything. I was a CNA and didn't think it was right for me to train an RN. LOL!

[crn16]

Be prepared to get thrown in rather quickly. My orientation was pretty good, but that was because a) my boss wants to change the old system throwing people in and letting them figure it b) Corrections was my first nursing job, so naturally I needed I needed extra training. You are lucky that you have ED training, excellent assessment skills are a must have for this job. But I also see 2 potential downfalls to your ED knowledge: they will probably feel more comfortable just throwing you in and you will be acting as a first responder, not an ED nurse and there is a difference. Expect to use primitive equipment and have COs who are EMTs and will complain that you do things wrong. The officers are the main reason I hate responding to emergencies. They watch your every move, often say "well shouldn't you..." and proceed to tell the entire jail that you did this and that wrong. I was not prepared for emergencies at all when I finished orientation. As a result I fumbled while using the old O2 tank and looked like an ass.