Jail house: Good News or Blues?

Hoozdo, ADN · Jul 1, 2019

Your experience as an LPN will not matter much wherever you're applying for RN in hospital settings.

If you are talking Maricopa County, the schedule is not flexible as an LPN. You will be doing heavy-duty med passes.

I can't speak to any other counties or jails in AZ.

VN-BSNladder · Jul 6, 2019

Hey there,

I have 3 years experience as an LVN in California, and went back to school LVN-BSN bridge. I just graduated, but have been networking and asking nursing recruiters if I have any edge due to my background as an LVN. Sadly the answer is almost always no. (This is why my fellow LVNs and I joke that we are actually Low Value Nurses).

Unless you get acute care experience in a hospital. Some community hospitals (at least in California) will hire IV certified LVNs for their Med-Surg floors, but the pay is sh*t! I know because I was looking for acute care experience. I was offered a position at a community hospital local to me on a Med-Surg tele floor, the starting pay was $18/hr. I currently work in LTC, and make $28/hr. Huge difference when you have to pay bills and support yourself through continuing your education. Hospitals and other acute care type jobs only count acute care experience. I think that the corrections will probably be overlooked, and not counted as an acute care experience. But if the pay is good and hours are flexible, it may be worth it if you really just need to survive through the rest of nursing school.

So, basically try to find a job in acute care, like Med-Surg, or even Home Health shift care with pts. on vents or trachs, so that employers will "count" your LVN experience, and sadly in my experience, those jobs usually pay the least. Good Luck, I hope this helps you in some way.

Ghost of Dobby, CNA, LPN · Jul 8, 2019

On 7/6/2019 at 8:08 AM, VN-BSNladder said:
Hey there,
I have 3 years experience as an LVN in California, and went back to school LVN-BSN bridge. I just graduated, but have been networking and asking nursing recruiters if I have any edge due to my background as an LVN. Sadly the answer is almost always no. (This is why my fellow LVNs and I joke that we are actually Low Value Nurses).
Unless you get acute care experience in a hospital. Some community hospitals (at least in California) will hire IV certified LVNs for their Med-Surg floors, but the pay is sh*t! I know because I was looking for acute care experience. I was offered a position at a community hospital local to me on a Med-Surg tele floor, the starting pay was $18/hr. I currently work in LTC, and make $28/hr. Huge difference when you have to pay bills and support yourself through continuing your education. Hospitals and other acute care type jobs only count acute care experience. I think that the corrections will probably be overlooked, and not counted as an acute care experience. But if the pay is good and hours are flexible, it may be worth it if you really just need to survive through the rest of nursing school.
So, basically try to find a job in acute care, like Med-Surg, or even Home Health shift care with pts. on vents or trachs, so that employers will "count" your LVN experience, and sadly in my experience, those jobs usually pay the least. Good Luck, I hope this helps you in some way.

Hey bud,

Thank you for the insight I really appreciate it. My family thinks it will be a waste of time to work in correction because I'll only be doing pill pass but I am certain that lpn experience doesnt count for anything at all once I finish my ADN. I just wanted to make sure I was correct In my thinking that working as an Lpn in general isn't going to give me any sort of a leg up. I am currently a tech on an ICU and we are like a huge family, I fear that leaving jeopardizes my chance to be hired one grad there. But the money is just unbeatable.

Orca, ADN, ASN, RN · Jul 11, 2019

Our LPNs don't work nights (apart from one who specifically requested it). Their duties consist mainly of pill pass.

Kooky Korky, BSN, RN · Jul 24, 2019

On 7/7/2019 at 7:53 PM, Ghost of Dobby said:
Hey bud,
Thank you for the insight I really appreciate it. My family thinks it will be a waste of time to work in correction because I'll only be doing pill pass but I am certain that lpn experience doesnt count for anything at all once I finish my ADN. I just wanted to make sure I was correct In my thinking that working as an Lpn in general isn't going to give me any sort of a leg up. I am currently a tech on an ICU and we are like a huge family, I fear that leaving jeopardizes my chance to be hired one grad there. But the money is just unbeatable.

Nurses do much more in jails than pass meds.

You will do Sick Call, which means you will see many inmates who have a variety of c/o. Every body system could be involved. Derm, Dental, Cardiac, Pulm, GI, GU, OB/Gyn/Post-Partum, Derm, musculo-skeletal, etc. You will see injuries (people fighting = broken noses and jaws, injured hands), falls, both inmates, sworn staff and civilian staff.

You will take off doc's orders, you will respond to "man down" calls, you might work in the Infirmary = inpatients who have HIV, Ca, other chronic and acute illnesses, people with casts (neurovascular checks), communicable illnesses, post-op, and more.

When you do your resume, be sure to let the prospective employers know that Jail Nursing is a whole lot more than Psych, which you will see plenty of, just that there is a whole lot more going on in jails than giving pills and Psych.

Best wishes.

It's a little late in the season, but don't discount being a summer camp nurse either. You will see all ages from the youngest campers to the oldest staff members, you will see all body systems. Good experience, usually your own kids attend free, and you will get a little sun and exercise.

You might be called upon to be the Health Officer for the Kitchen and Laundry, too. Good Public Health experience.

Ghost of Dobby, CNA, LPN · Aug 9, 2019

On 7/24/2019 at 3:53 PM, Kooky Korky said:
Nurses do much more in jails than pass meds.
You will do Sick Call, which means you will see many inmates who have a variety of c/o. Every body system could be involved. Derm, Dental, Cardiac, Pulm, GI, GU, OB/Gyn/Post-Partum, Derm, musculo-skeletal, etc. You will see injuries (people fighting = broken noses and jaws, injured hands), falls, both inmates, sworn staff and civilian staff.
You will take off doc's orders, you will respond to "man down" calls, you might work in the Infirmary = inpatients who have HIV, Ca, other chronic and acute illnesses, people with casts (neurovascular checks), communicable illnesses, post-op, and more.
When you do your resume, be sure to let the prospective employers know that Jail Nursing is a whole lot more than Psych, which you will see plenty of, just that there is a whole lot more going on in jails than giving pills and Psych.
Best wishes.
It's a little late in the season, but don't discount being a summer camp nurse either. You will see all ages from the youngest campers to the oldest staff members, you will see all body systems. Good experience, usually your own kids attend free, and you will get a little sun and exercise.
You might be called upon to be the Health Officer for the Kitchen and Laundry, too. Good Public Health experience.

Thank you kooky!

I just accepted a job offer working p/t nights, great pay and flexible schedule. I'll also be able to keep my job at the hospital PRN.

bryanleo9 · Aug 10, 2019

On 7/24/2019 at 3:53 PM, Kooky Korky said:
Nurses do much more in jails than pass meds.
You will do Sick Call, which means you will see many inmates who have a variety of c/o. Every body system could be involved. Derm, Dental, Cardiac, Pulm, GI, GU, OB/Gyn/Post-Partum, Derm, musculo-skeletal, etc. You will see injuries (people fighting = broken noses and jaws, injured hands), falls, both inmates, sworn staff and civilian staff.
You will take off doc's orders, you will respond to "man down" calls, you might work in the Infirmary = inpatients who have HIV, Ca, other chronic and acute illnesses, people with casts (neurovascular checks), communicable illnesses, post-op, and more.
When you do your resume, be sure to let the prospective employers know that Jail Nursing is a whole lot more than Psych, which you will see plenty of, just that there is a whole lot more going on in jails than giving pills and Psych.
Best wishes.
It's a little late in the season, but don't discount being a summer camp nurse either. You will see all ages from the youngest campers to the oldest staff members, you will see all body systems. Good experience, usually your own kids attend free, and you will get a little sun and exercise.
You might be called upon to be the Health Officer for the Kitchen and Laundry, too. Good Public Health experience.

Exactly. A lot of things going on behind the bars. If an LVN who is in RN school wants to work in a hospital, yes corrections experience won't help. Most of us in corrections want nothing to do with hospital nursing. We are here for the pay and wonderful retirement. We enjoy the excitement and aspects of corrections nursing that are so unique.

Corrections is not for everyone but for those that thrive in it, the career is very rewarding. Definitely try it before you buy it with a registry agency to see if it's your thing.