Not enough experience.

You may want to try home health.

I'm sorry.

The first thing you gotta do is get an interview. There's nothing you can do except apply apply and apply.

The second thing, if you DO get the interview talk to the employer about all that you do in corrections such as...

Behavioral Health Assessment

- discuss the behavioral health assessment performed on each person upon intake.

- discuss the interventions you performed when someone was suicidal / homocidal

- discuss what you have learned to look for in those who have behavioral problems

- Discuss the varied sort of clientele you encounter in the offender population

Fast Pace (clinic work)

- discuss the revolving door of the clinic (cold s/s, staph infections, abdominal pains, sore throats)

- how, as a corrections nurse you have honed your assessment skills to differentiate between serious illness and non-threatening ailments

- discuss how every day there are 5-10 offenders sent to the detention unit that sporadically interrupt your day, but their wellness assessment takes priority over most things your doing at that time so you don't waste the CO's time.

Epidemiology

- Discuss the TB risks associated with the offender population

- Discuss the vast amount of community acquired MRSA you see and prophylactic interventions you educate the offenders with

Emergency

- Discuss your familiarity with Chest Pain complaints vs anxiety

- discuss your ability to perform 12 lead EKGs, so many nurses (including RNs, have never done a 12 lead EKG. At my hospital RT performs all of them and many floor nurses have never touched the machine in their entire career)

- discuss the types of trauma you encounter from fights

Ingenuity

- Discuss how short on supplies you are, but still manage to splint the offenders broken finger with two halves of a tongue depressor

- Discuss how you dressed a large wound without any adhesive!

- Discuss how you manage to pick out diamonds of truth from over embellished stories told by offenders regarding their past histories.

With these every day encounters you will wow your prospective employer.... its just a matter of getting the interview. If you get that interview and can see a hiring manager FACE TO FACE, you're golden.

Srsly MsAllBizness... I wish you the most amazing luck I can wish for someone. My heart beats for you correction nurses!