when the IM says "I want to see nurse so and so"

[afteralltheseyears]

I appreciate reading the opinions of other correctional nurses on this site. Here's another question--what do you think when an inmate says to the nurses working a shift "I want to speak to nurse so and so". When I ask what it is about the female IM says "she knows what for". Evidentally the IM had asked the nurse a few days prior when she'd be working next and told her she wanted to talk to her. Then that nurse willingly obliges the inmate and speaks to her in an exam room. I guess I feel nurses shouldn't allow themselves to be manipulated in that way and say "whatever you need can be dealt with by any of the nurses, not just me". If a nurse obliges an inmate she's not maintained a professional boundry that is so necessary in corrections work--she's behaved like they're friends, not nurse and inmate. I think many of the nurses I work with now are having a personal need met by obliging inmates in ways such as this. Just needed to see what you all think. Am I way off on this?

[sirI, MSN, APRN, NP]

No, you are spot on. Agree with you totally.

[**nurse**]

99% behind you. I have to hold off for that 1% because I know that there have been times when it is appropriate for a nurse to be asked for by name, although I don't think that's what you are talking about. If one nurse orders all of the keep on person meds for the institution and an IM wants to know if something that has been waited for, a non formulary or maybe a med they don't want to name in an area where people can hear, that's reasonable. Likewise maybe one nurse does all of the HIV testing and results. Usually you know when someone is asking because of something like that. If your alarms are going off because you know a nurse is crossing boundries that shouldn't be crossed, you can talk to that nurse yourself, talk to your supervisor, or, as I've done on more than one occasion, tell the IM sorry, you've got me. How can I help you today? If the boundries get crossed too often the nurse doesn't usually last in corrections anyway. We've all seen that.

[AmericanRN]

I appreciate reading the opinions of other correctional nurses on this site. Here's another question--what do you think when an inmate says to the nurses working a shift "I want to speak to nurse so and so". When I ask what it is about the female IM says "she knows what for". Evidentally the IM had asked the nurse a few days prior when she'd be working next and told her she wanted to talk to her. Then that nurse willingly obliges the inmate and speaks to her in an exam room. I guess I feel nurses shouldn't allow themselves to be manipulated in that way and say "whatever you need can be dealt with by any of the nurses, not just me". If a nurse obliges an inmate she's not maintained a professional boundry that is so necessary in corrections work--she's behaved like they're friends, not nurse and inmate. I think many of the nurses I work with now are having a personal need met by obliging inmates in ways such as this. Just needed to see what you all think. Am I way off on this?

Ummm they need to be very careful these other nurses. I don't think you are way off at all. We just had two in my area allow themselves to become very close and they got manipulated big time. To make a long story short one thing led to another and both nurses were fired. Their business is all over every facility related to the jail it happened at and the IM's involved squealed like pigs, they showed letters, they repeated conversations verbatim.

One had a brief affair, the other did not. Both ended up having to spend a few hours in a cell over the situation(s). No info yet on what the BON will decide but their agency ditched them quick. It isn't drugs or anything like that but it was still a breach of protocal.

I'm not excusing the nurses in question but obviously they are human and lonely and maybe in the future other nurses can be saved or at least forewarned by those who have firmer boundaries. The risk isn't worth the cost.