How easy is it to lose a license in correctional setting?

[reptilesavvy]

I have heard that inmates are very litigious and nurses working in jail or prison are in high risks of losing their licenses because of law suits. Is it true? Can somebody share a story?

How easy is it to lose a license in correctional setting?

[RN In FL]

I have seen many inmates denied medications that they depended on all because of egotistical practices. I've seen a long term addict on a LOW dose of suboxone he had only been on for a year and was in the process of weaning to be drug free when he was jailed for child support. They stopped him cold turkey and on Day three. He had food in his mouth when he had a seizure and aspirated. Now he's permanently disabled. I've seen a ton of hard core alcoholics in the ER in full blown withdrawal when they have the ability to place the inmate on an alcohol protocol but refused to. I have seen officers laugh at them. Inmates with major surgery denied pain meds. If there's anyone that deserves to lose their license it's these sickos.

All of the above you just mentioned is why got out of correctional nursing, I was basically terminated. I asked too many questions. Things were not documented, the LPN's lacked assessment skills, taking "patients" off meds....especially psych meds, and them literally crying to have them restarted. Families calling wanting to know why, and us being told "not to give information".. Cops too involved with calling the shot with medical. Sick patients not being sent to the hospital, and very poor documentation. Inmates have died, due to being sent out too late, and these families will never know the true reason.

[Cultmember]

The CYA rule doesn't apply if management has decided to tear you a new one because of lies they've heard about you. Failing to tow the party line--- and trust me there is a huge one in nursing---will get you at the end.

[Cultmember]

That is so *****messes up that I believe it because it involves nurses. In nursing school, we are taught to advocate for our patients, to be "whistleblowers".. At the same time, though, if a nurse actually follows her standards of practice by reporting the things you've underlined, s/he will end up either an addict from the backlash or else unemployed. Understandably, then, they turn a blind eye and worth in an unethical manner.. Those are the nurses who make it to retirement. They are the one who cross the finish line without a soul left intact.

[K9lover, ASN, RN]

I do not think there is substantially more risk than any other area of nursing for the nurse him/her-self. Inmates do like to sue but they want something; they sue over food, they sue over having more staff, they sue over not receiving enough of everything from pillows to snacks. As we are in a 1st responder role if there was a bad outcome but the nurse had done everything a prudent nurse would do they may still sue but it would be the 'deep pocketed' state or county. I've been in corrections @ a year and am far more at ease than I was in acute care ER, one big thing is make sure the officers do not pull the inmate out if they have been injured in a fight or what-not; a recent lawsuit in California I'd been reading indicated an inmate was suing the county after being pulled from the cell when he had a c-spine injury and he is now quadriplegic. I've arrived on scene to find the officers have already pulled the inmate out but we have gotten the word out with officers to ensure scene is safe via removing the other inmates rather than pulling out the injured. In my 20+ year career I have never been called as a witness in a medical lawsuit but the chances I will be are greater working in corrections. I'd add extra protections; I carry malpractice insurance and an insurance which provides legal counsel if needed. Unlike acute care we are in a position where we are not giving everyone what is on their 'wish list' of meds, extra blankets etc...

[K9lover, ASN, RN]

Good to know! Been in corrections @ 1 year and had not yet renewed my insurance so I guess I will not be with NSO!

[K9lover, ASN, RN]

Have you ever had to go to court in any other scenario where the county/state is sued such as being 1st responder to a homicide/suicide on site?

[Kooky Korky, BSN, RN]

I managed a county jail clinic, while pursuing my master's, and although my license has never been in peril - I am still getting calls from my US Marshal contacts, from that time period, telling me they've got more papers for me. I've long since moved and have become what seems a frequent face to a local Deputy Marshal they'll mail them to him now. I go to him to get served rather than making him come to my house. When I was in the jail, they'd come to my office there and serve me. It has never been an issue or in the least bit adversarial. I've been sued many times, never singularly, for violating 8th Amendment Rights and always a party with the jail administrator, sheriff, and random jailers. I spoke with the sheriff's office's attorney's secretary on the first occasion to ascertain if I didn't need to do anything and since that time everything has always been handled for me, and beyond that I've never done anything. None of the health-related suits have ever been of substance. (The most recent one was my "failure" to administer psychotropic medication that was never ordered or prescribed.) Most inmates will represent themselves, and unless the violation is rather heinous then it generally involves some back and forth correspondence before the inmate loses interest or ability, and the matter fizzles out. Some of them are quite entertaining.

I liked the administrative nature of the job, and I enjoyed the environment. The less than enjoyable role was the frequency with which I had to write replies to grievances and other documents.

Entertaining? What was the entertaining part?

[Kooky Korky, BSN, RN]

I have seen many inmates denied medications that they depended on all because of egotistical practices. I've seen a long term addict on a LOW dose of suboxone he had only been on for a year and was in the process of weaning to be drug free when he was jailed for child support. They stopped him cold turkey and on Day three. He had food in his mouth when he had a seizure and aspirated. Now he's permanently disabled. I've seen a ton of hard core alcoholics in the ER in full blown withdrawal when they have the ability to place the inmate on an alcohol protocol but refused to. I have seen officers laugh at them. Inmates with major surgery denied pain meds. If there's anyone that deserves to lose their license it's these sickos.

Now it seems that patients in ER's are denied pain for kidney stones and other truly severe pain.

Sometimes the Custody personnel don't realize there's a medical issue, they just think the inmates are being jerks. But nurses denying pain meds? Not at all acceptable. What do you do about it?

I have put many an inmate on dental infection protocol because some other nurse was too lazy to do so.

Suboxone cruelty? Alcoholism cruelty? What do your supervisors say about this sort of behavior? Who is "they"? What can you do about these situations?

As for lawsuits, I worked in corrections for many years, never had any suits. I treated the inmates with dignity, tried not to know why they were in jail, tried to apply The Golden Rule always. Not easy. Often I did know why they were there, but figured it wasn't my job to punish them by refusing medical care. Not saying I was never tempted.

Sometimes it was hard to be nice to people who I knew to be charged with some really awful stuff. Still, as an imperfect being myself, I was able to be courteous. I figured, maybe incorrectly, that if a riot ever happened and inmates took over the facility, they'd remember that I'd been decent to them and not hurt or kill me.

[K9lover, ASN, RN]

Although I have been in corrections only a little over a year I doubt nurses' license are at risk any more so than anywhere else. Uses prudent decisions-making, follow protocol and, to borrow from the doctors, do no harm. Doesn't mean they will not sue given it's the great American pastime but they are after money and the state/county has the deep pockets. I don't believe it is that easy to lose a license; in my 20+ years mainly as a hospital RN I have only known 3-4 and all except one had drug problems, the one who did not (have drug problems) had severe anger management issues and did denial better than any alcoholic/addict. Now, like everyone else inmates don't like the word 'no' and unlike hospitals where nurses are expected to suck-up like a Hoover and meet the most insane demands we actually do say 'no' in corrections. I really like Corrections; I really don't have the God-like ability to render the hospital patients/families happy all of the time and I never did; here I treat all with respect & I take their healthcare seriously. It's a joy to practice straight-up nursing :-)

[K9lover, ASN, RN]

I agree, I tune out the crimes. I am being paid to treat their medical issues and that's it, I have never been judgmental toward alcoholics/addicts which helps immensely as so mush of jail/prison pop has issues with addiction. One of the readings in AA Big Book goes something along the lines of "we were either at bottom of heap wallowing in self-pity or at the top of heap looking down on others rather than just being/women men among men/women. 28 years sober and I never fail to hear/read a passage from that book which I can apply to everyday life. That's the other factor which makes it easy for me not to look down upon them; I easily could have found myself in many situations they are in and thank God every day I found AA (I hope this post is not promoting anything; sharing my experience as it relates to others.) That having been said I don't share anything; my boundaries were already pretty good but I tightened them up for corrections. Personal life is personal; no need to share it in order to have it be used in workplace; I never forget where I came from and this helps a lot in this work environment.

[Psych77]

I was just talking about this with the nurses at work; people were saying, don't get the insurance (unless you are rich), because lawyers can find out you have it and sue you personally instead of just the prison.

[Orca, ADN, ASN, RN]

I agree, I tune out the crimes. I am being paid to treat their medical issues and that's it...

I don't want to know what an inmate is doing time for, because I don't want it to color the way that I see him or deal with him. I never try to find out.