Corrections job for newish nurse via agency-advice?

[RN Rover]

I've been a licensed RN for 18 months now. Though I've been unable to land any clinical positions, I have been nursing most of the time either for family doing hospice and palliative care at home, or as a private hire home health nurse for oncology patients. So my experience is limited, but I have used a lot of my nursing skills during this time and do have some confidence in my nursing skills.

I have my heart set on corrections. My mother was a corrections RN (she passed 20 years ago, so I cannot go to her for advice). I have been trying to land a job in California Dept of Corrections since I graduated, sent out a dozen apps and no responses, no interviews yet. So I signed up with an agency that specializes in corrections and looks like I might have an assignment at Pleasant Valley State Prison in Coalinga coming up. I am very excited and also a bit nervous.

Any advice, words of encouragement, warnings, comments from you all are welcome. I've read a lot of the threads in this forum already and have some idea of what to expect. I'm especially interested to learn what I can do to best prepare myself for this assignment, everything from what to wear to what to study and brush up on before I begin. I love this forum and really appreciate every bit of information I find here.

Thanks!

Sugaree

[navyvet13]

Any update?

I've been a licensed RN for 18 months now. Though I've been unable to land any clinical positions, I have been nursing most of the time either for family doing hospice and palliative care at home, or as a private hire home health nurse for oncology patients. So my experience is limited, but I have used a lot of my nursing skills during this time and do have some confidence in my nursing skills.

I have my heart set on corrections. My mother was a corrections RN (she passed 20 years ago, so I cannot go to her for advice). I have been trying to land a job in California Dept of Corrections since I graduated, sent out a dozen apps and no responses, no interviews yet. So I signed up with an agency that specializes in corrections and looks like I might have an assignment at Pleasant Valley State Prison in Coalinga coming up. I am very excited and also a bit nervous.

Any advice, words of encouragement, warnings, comments from you all are welcome. I've read a lot of the threads in this forum already and have some idea of what to expect. I'm especially interested to learn what I can do to best prepare myself for this assignment, everything from what to wear to what to study and brush up on before I begin. I love this forum and really appreciate every bit of information I find here.

Thanks!

Sugaree

[RN Rover]

update: I got an assignment at Pelican Bay State Prison and have been working there as a registry nurse since April (almost 7 months now). I LOVE it!! The only bad part about the experience is that my agency is awful and never pays me on time. I have filed a complaint with Dept of Labor and have a hearing pending. They are currently three weeks late on my pay! it's really unbelievable. Beware what agencies you choose to work.

Despite the problem with agency, I'm glad for this experience and wouldn't have made a different decision even if I had known that this agency was rotten.

I hope to land a state job in corrections as soon as this hiring freeze ends.