Inmate Pts

Nurses General Nursing

Published

Does anyone ever wonder what their inmate pts are in prison for?

Has anyone ever asked a patient or the bedside guard?

Specializes in FNP, Peds, Epilepsy, Mgt., Occ. Ed.

I've seen jail inmates in jail, prison inmates in prison, and both in the hospital setting. I have no desire to know why they are where they are. I assume it's not for jaywalking.

I don't know that I could remain objective if I knew the details of the crimes.

I also assume that anyone in prison has the potential to be violent, just as I assume that any patient has the potential to be infectious.

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Specializes in Trauma ICU, Surgical ICU, Medical ICU.

At our facility we are not allowed to ask what the patient was in prison for. I did find out by a patient what guards mean and how they are chained mean.

My patient was Alert and Oriented (strange in our ICU) and overheard report being given on an inmate patient. He asked about the pt and went into detail about how he had went to prison for murder about 30 years back, 2nd degree. TMI in my opinion but he told me that if an inmate comes in with 2 guards and is chained TO the bed, he committed a felony (robbery, murder, etc.) If he only has one guard and is not chained to the bed he comitted a misdemeanor. That week we had two inmates, one chained to the bed with 2 guards and one not chained with one guard. Turns out he was right lol!

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He really loved being in the hospital.

Or more likely, he really loved being out of prison, getting better food, being around females, etc.

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Specializes in Cardiac Nursing.

In the prison unit I worked for previously we weren't to ask what they were in for, for the very reason of taking care of them as a patient. Knowing what they did makes it difficult to give the patient the care they deserve as nurses are human. Knowing if they are a murderer or violent inmate just means no one wants to take care of them. Most of the ones I took care of were just grateful for a little kindness and the hot meals they got while in the hospital. Of course by the time they were able to convince prison staff they were indeed sick, they were REALLY sick. But that is a whole different conversation.

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Specializes in Community, OB, Nursery.

I work on a women's floor so all the inmates I have dealt with are female. I asked a pt one time what she was in for and haven't since. She was a nice nice person; I asked her what she was in for and she told me, pulled no punches. I have also been told by guards not to ask, bc if the pt tells you, it could be considered a confession and you could be subpoenaed as a witness if the case hasn't already been to trial.

I really don't care what people are in for anyway. And, anecdotally, every single one inmate that I've ever cared for has been courteous and grateful.

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Specializes in Med-Surg, ED.

I am never told and I never want to know. I think that it would be hard to keep my objectivity if I knew a patient had done something unspeakable.

Once an inmate looked familiar to one of the nurses caring for him, she looked thru the local news records until she found his pic and what he was arrested for. I don't agree with doing that either.

We don't know what goes on in the private lives of the majority of our patients, prisoners are no different.

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Specializes in Community, OB, Nursery.

In our state (and I imagine in others as well) one can go through the states DOC website and look up the person and see their entire rap sheet. I don't do this (don't have time and don't care) but have heard coworkers talk about it.

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Or more likely, he really loved being out of prison, getting better food, being around females, etc.

Couldn't have said it better.:chuckle

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Specializes in LTC.

We get prisoners as patients all the time. I don't ask because I don't want to know. I am afraid that know what the person was in for would change my demenor towards them, so I'd rather be niave and give them the best treatment I can.

Most of the time I feel really safe with these patients. They have two gaurds with them and are shackled to the bed. If they were to act up the local police department responds and the patient is transported back to jail.

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"Yes Ma'am", "No Ma'am". This is how my prisoners talk to me. The old guys are easy to look after.

I do not know what they are in for; it is none of my concern.

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I've taken care of many prisoners over the years without knowing what they were "in for". Does not matter. I treat them the same as I treat a VIP.

Have only had one prisoner "test" me. I gave that person the same schpeel I give anyone who is rude to me - "I don't tolerate rude behavior. I will care for you to the best of my abilities. But you will not curse at me, show your body parts, or do anything else inappropriate. Unless you are dying, I will not be in this room while you are acting in an offensive manner." It is all about boundaries. And most of my non-inmate patients are worse than the inmates.

There are many people in prison who are innocent. TX is one of the worst states for railroading people to prison on false charges. Prisons are also full of people who are not threats to society but simply need social services and counseling. They all deserve the best treatment we can give.

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i work on the prison unit in our hospital. each state has an inmate lookup on their department of corrections that is public information. i have looked up what their crime was. i do know the more guards usually means at some point they have tried to escape.

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