My first correctional job

[TNnursejane, BSN, RN]

I have been a nurse for 30 years and just took a job as a correctional nurse in a prison with 2200 inmates. I'm still on the fence as to whether I like it or not. We are totally on paper. When passing meds on segregation I find I don't have MARs and meds on inmates who have just been put in seg. It is the most frustrating part of my job. I'm the clinic supervisor on my rotation but have to pass meds on seg on the weekends I work. I'm praying they are hiring more nurses!! We are a fairly new prison so our staff is not quite up to where it needs to be.

I run the clinic which means sick calls, emergency sick calls, pre-admit seg assessments, any suicide watches (with a CO of course) and any emergency calls on the compound. I'm trying to decide if I like it our not. I like the autonomy of the job and I don't think I'll ever go back to a hospital but there just seems to be more control in the hospital.

Of course the inmates lie to you, call you names and cuss you out when things don't go their way. You really have to be thick skinned and ready to give it back to the inmate when they give you flack when things don't go their way. You still have to be professional but most of all, you have to be fair, firm and consistent.

If anyone loves corrections I'd love to hear from you. I'm on the fence and trying to decide if this is something I want to stay with.