New to county jail nursing

360joules · Mar 30, 2010

Pick up a Paramedic textbook. Seriously.

Nursing in the county jail encompasses all walks of life (from serial killer awaiting trail to honest businessman on a DUI bust) "fresh off the streets" with nothing but their story and your basic objective observations to evaluate them with.

You have to be able to triage, initially treat, as well as handle the the routine "I need my medicine" type stuff.

The hardest skill (for me) was being able to decide who was being a drama queen (post-arrest) and who had legitimate complaints that required outside treatment ASAP.

Obvious stuff (bleeding, DIB, etc) is easy to call. Tying up one or two deputies all night in the ER with someone who conned you into thinking he was having DTs quickly loses respect for you with the custody staff. The flip side of that is sometimes you have to "pull rank" to make the wheels turn on a patient's behalf.

You don't have to answer call bells, so thats a big plus! :)

ArizonaMark · Apr 7, 2010

Remember your ABCs, and get as much info as you can via vitals, FSBS, lung sounds, etc... before you make a dx. A lot of arrestees do malinger in the hopes of getting cited and released by arresting agency. Also, easy access to meds and phones in a hospital setting.

Many of these folks are pros at the jail setting. They will have an initial advantage over you (lower/lowers, extra meals, meds, special shoes, etc...). You will be taken advantage of, especially initially. After all, we are supposed to be kind, compassionate. But soon, your sixth sense will develop and you will spot these folks the moment they make their presence known.

Best of luck!

Kindly,

Mark

mikethemurse, BSN, RN · May 6, 2010

Hi, and let me first say welcome to this very interesting, and challenging specialty! I love my job at the county jail, and you do get to see all walks of life, and you get to wear many hats! The most important thing to remember while working in a correctional facility is to be FIRM, FAIR, AND CONSISTENT! Your assessment skills will be put to the test. All of the I/M at my facility know that stating that they have chest pain is an automatic trip to the infirmary, and it is amazing what Motrin, or a sandwich will cure. Trust your gut. A lot of your patients will be like children...meaning it will be fairly easy to tell when they are really in trouble, or just looking for a vacation at the local hospital. I always stay to the side of it's better to be safe than to be sorry. Also, if you don't have malpractice insurance...GET IT! And look at the policy because some companies won't cover corrections nurses. Anyway I wish you all the luck, and if you ever need any advice, this is a great forum. Again...WELCOME!!!!!!

nursejudy15209 · May 10, 2010

my only suggestion is to view the posts following "nurses misbehaving". each one gives insight into correctional nursing. there are good suggestions in these posts and they all center around the aspects of correctional nursing.

good luck with your new position. keep on posting as things you encounter will probably help someone else down the line.

Guppy · May 10, 2010

...don't believe everything you hear and be aware of your surroundings at all times and never give out personal information even to other staff within hearing range of inmates. Loved when I worked in the jail and yes you learn a WHOLE lot. You get out of it what you put into it. Have fun and be safe.