from med/surg to corrections....interview thurs

[juleeRN]

Hello all,

I've been working on a med/surgical floor which has all kinds of pt. From tx from ccu, renal, tele, tons of isolation and wounds, all kinds of conditions. Anyway, recently I've been thinking of finding a position elsewhere. Well, Thursday I have an interview for a county correctional inst., and was wondering about the job, what to expect? Any info or feedback would be appreciated!

Thanks!

[Orca, ADN, ASN, RN]

One question we ask all prospective nurses is what changes they expect to make in their practice as a result of nursing in a correctional environment. What we are looking for is statements about maintaining security, not becoming overly friendly with inmates, not doing special favors and so forth. Never offer to bring anything in or take anything out for an inmate, no matter how harmless it may seem (for instance, if an inmate asks you to bring in a book for him to read). Keep all communication within the confines of things necessary to do the job.

One thing that many nurses coming from a hospital setting into corrections struggle with, at least initially, is that you must be careful with outward displays of caring (too much hands-on, too much comforting, etc.). In the hospital these are desirable approaches. In the prison or jail setting they can be misconstrued as romantic interest, or they can signal to an inmate that you might be someone he/she can manipulate into doing something you shouldn't.

Another answer that scores a lot of points, if you are asked a question about any area you may not be sure about, is to say that you would follow agency policy, and you would consult a supervisor if you have questions.