As a Christian, as a human being and as a nurse, I feel I must comment on what appears to be a wide sprear perception of inmates. Altogether too often, I hear "all inmates lie, they have nothing better to do than sit around and figues ways to beat the system".
Yes, I realize that there are some truley bad people in our prisons (isn't this the reason for prisons?), however, many are people who have made very bad choices or very stupid mistakes.
Yet, even the worst inmate is still human and feels all the emotions, pains and hopes that we in the free world feel.
Isn't it our job, our calling as nurses to assist people to achive their maxium state of wellness be that physical or emotional? How can we accomplish this if we veiw our patients as sub-human or second class?
Now, I am not advocating that we become "best friends" with our inmates, rather that we see them as fellow human beings who need our care, understanding and empathy as much as do patients in hospitals or nursing homes.
As a former military nurse and trauma nurse, I have seen manupitlive behaviors in almost all segments of society and have worked with drug and alcohol addicted populations.
I suppose that all I'm saying is let's remember that all of (including my self) have made bad choices and stupid mistakes. Lets not be too quick to judge and condem. After all the truth between an inmates version and the courts may lie some where in the middle.
