Home Health or Corrections

Specialties Correctional

Published

Hi. I am trying to choose between two jobs at the moment. One of them is home health and the other would be in a prison. I do not have experience in either area but will have to take one of them. My primary experience is in the acute care setting. I am not the most assertive person by any means but like the hours at the correctional facility better. Has anyone else ever had to make a decision like this before?

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Specializes in M/S, LTC, Corrections, PDN & drug rehab.

I have worked in corrections. I love it! You have so much autonomy & never know what will happen. I never wanted to do home health just because I didn't like driving everywhere.

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Thanks for replying. What is your personality like? Did they taunt you when you first started there? I was told that since I am young and female that I am really going to get tested. I am pretty reserved and by no means a loud mouth or assertive. I know I will have to just act strong but I'm really worried. Can you tell me what it was like for you?

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Specializes in M/S, LTC, Corrections, PDN & drug rehab.
Thanks for replying. What is your personality like? Did they taunt you when you first started there? I was told that since I am young and female that I am really going to get tested. I am pretty reserved and by no means a loud mouth or assertive. I know I will have to just act strong but I'm really worried. Can you tell me what it was like for you?

I was young when I started (in my early twenties) & a lot of inmates hit on me. You have to be strong, stick up for yourself sometimes & not be afraid to go to rank if an inmate really steps out of line. I'm by no means really outgoing, but when it comes to inmates trying to get what they want from me, they don't get it. I'm small (5'2") & they think they can just run me over & get whatever they want. Sometimes you just have to be blunt with them.

I have worked in prison & jail. When I worked in the prison the males would whip out their junk all the time. They scream to get your attention. You need to just block the noise out.

At the jail the inappropriate behavior didn't happen as much. But there were drunks brought in off the street so we had to deal with them.

No matter what you have to stand up for yourself. I never went anywhere without a C.O. with me. If something feels off or the inmate is acting up, tell the C.O.

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I would work Corrections. You will be a State Employee, with far better pay and benefits than Home Health. And you will probably be able to join the Union, which in and of itself, is a Big Benefit. There are no unions in Home Health.

JMHO and my NY $0.02

Lindarn, RN, BSN, CCRN, (ret)

Somewhere in the PACNW

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Specializes in Corrections; Advice Nurse.

I would also choose Corrections over home health.. I've been a corrections RN for CDCR for 9 months and I love it! The pay is great and the inmates are generally very respectful and appreciate my help. I've never done home health.

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Thank you for your help. I think its a privately owned facility so I don't know if that has an impact on the benefits and what not. That sounds like it must have been hard to take, having inmates expose themselves and constantly harassing. I keep debating and going back and forth. I just don't know if I have what it takes to be afraid of work day in and day out.

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Specializes in M/S, LTC, Corrections, PDN & drug rehab.

I got use to it & learned to stick up for myself. Corrections is not for everyone, if you can't stand your ground then the inmates will take advantage of you.

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Specializes in Hospice, corrections, psychiatry, rehab, LTC.
Thank you for your help. I think its a privately owned facility so I don't know if that has an impact on the benefits and what not. That sounds like it must have been hard to take, having inmates expose themselves and constantly harassing. I keep debating and going back and forth. I just don't know if I have what it takes to be afraid of work day in and day out.

"Constantly harassing" is an exaggeration. Everyone gets tested when they hit the door. An inmate sees a new face and believes that he might get something that no one else will give him. Stick to your policies and procedures, and don't do any special favors for inmates. If an inmate exposes himself to you deliberately, write him up. This is not allowable, and some correctional agencies (the Florida Department of Corrections in particular) have lost lawsuits to employees for failing to address this. Let inmates know early on that you plan to operate by the rules and it will solve a lot of your problems.

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Specializes in psychiatric nursing.

Corrections for sure! The pay and benefits can't be beat. I did home health, and once you figure in the time you spend doing the documentation (it's very extensive), you're not making hardly anything. Plus all that travel time and wear and tear on your car.

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Specializes in ICU, psych, corrections.

Corrections, hands down. I KNOW what Home health nurses walk into every day and at least in prison, I have a very good idea of what my day to day interactions are going to be with the population. I've heard such horror stories from my nursing school colleague. She was in the hospital for close to 9 years, got tired of working nights and left to do home health for "a better schedule". She hightailed it back to the hospital after only 9 months and said she never wanted to do home health again. I have done ICU, dialysis and psych. I am now in Corrections. The inmates are, for the most part, very respectful. We have a few game players (they are ALL potentially game players and you do have to be aware of them) but overall, I enjoy my job in the infirmary. The inmates are usually very quick to show gratitude for the treatment you provide.

Assessment skills are probably close to being similar as is the autonomy factor. I just couldn't walk into the filthy homes where it was obvious abuse or neglect was occurring on a regular basis. It would get to me over time.

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Specializes in Cardiac, Home Health, Primary Care.

I work home health now and I actually enjoy it. No I don't know what I'm walking into. It may be an amazing house with beams on the vaulted ceiling or it may be a trailer with sunken floors and lizards crawling across the living ( I've actually had both). When we feel a home is unsafe we don't continue to see the patient thankfully.

I have heard horror stories from other agencies in my area though. So it truly just depends on your employer on if you'll enjoy it or not. Seems the bad agencies outnumber the good anymore.

The drive doesn't bother me as I can listen to audiobooks and stuff. I love most of the patients because they truly appreciate what we do.

I wouldn't take a corrections job but that is just me. I am too gullible and I know it. Yes I might get thicker skin after a while but I'm sure not before a few inmates got the best of me. I'd be more nervous dealing with those guys than walking up to a new patients home. Inmates can be crafty though I think (if I remember right) home health nurses have more injury or death (again I THINK I read this somewhere????).

You already have several replies but thought I'd give my input if you haven't already made a decision.

Good luck on a new job either way! And if you do get the chance to be with a GOOD home health agency it sure doesn't hurt to try it. If you're still considering ask the agency if you can do a ride along one day to get a feel. That's what I did coming from a cardiac step down unit.

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