Prison Nursing- what does it involve?

chrisrn24 · Mar 29, 2013

It can be a very stressful job at times advocating for care for the prisoners...a lot of the COs don't like the prisoners and don't care if they die or not...and truthfully you may not either if you know some of the things these guys did. But it is rewarding serving a difficult population but also scary trying to deal with psychopaths, child molesters, etc when you want them to, uh, rot in HE double hockey sticks.

If you have Netflix watch "lockup" they frequently show prison nurses.

A lot of the jobs may be good money because they're 200 miles from civilization in the middle of the desert.

mjo07 · Mar 29, 2013

This is actually something Ive thought about doing. I would love to hear about any experiences or more thoughts :) I think everyone deserves great healthcare, and we cant assume these people are all guilty(maybe they are), but you never know. It think it would be nice to have a positive impact on these people in prison.

texasmum · Mar 29, 2013

Mj - I don't know how old you are but please don't go into a prison job with rose colored glasses. There is really good money involved but you are working with the scum of the earth and they will do everything they can to scam you. Inside no one EVER was guilty of their crime. You have to have really thick skin. A heart of gold will just get used and abused.

**NICU Guy, BSN, RN** · Mar 29, 2013

Although I don't work in a prison, we have 2 Federal prisons and a Federal work camp 2 miles away. We get inmates from those facilities. They are always well behaved. I have not had an issue with one of the inmates in 13 yrs. I am assuming that they don't want to screw up being a quiet room with a tv and a nice bed away from the prison.

It is probably better to seek advice in the Correctional Nursing section Correctional Nursing

SuzieVN · Mar 29, 2013

Scum of the earth? Maybe. The guilty ones are. We always hear of people being freed and exonerated- it can happen to you or anyone else, to be arrested and convicted. Aside from these well-documented facts, is another biggie: The more we dehumanize the millions of people we put in prison, the less human they will be when they are released. Scary. I can't see myself working in a prison ('correctional' is a misnomer), but thanks for the poster who told me about the 'correctional nursing' link.

DedHedRN · Mar 30, 2013

Passing meds to stone cold killers who murder babies and will stab your eye out with a pencil if given half a chance maybe? Guys who plan on knocking out the guards and doing unthinkable things to you everyday, whether they get that chance or not, is up to how alert your guard is. Psychopaths trying to get into your mind like on silence of the lambs every day? I wouldn't/couldn't do it in a million years.

mjo07 · Mar 30, 2013

Mj - I don't know how old you are but please don't go into a prison job with rose colored glasses. There is really good money involved but you are working with the scum of the earth and they will do everything they can to scam you. Inside no one EVER was guilty of their crime. You have to have really thick skin. A heart of gold will just get used and abused.

Oh I have been to prisons, know many people who are in/have been in prisons. We are all human and I feel I have the thick skin and life experience to CARE for these people. They are not "good" people but I think everyone should have a "good nurse" to care for them. I am very nonjudgemental and consider myself a strong person who stands up for what is right. This would not be my dream job, but I have thought about it and it sure is up there.

(oh and remember age is just a number)

Just me trying to save the world :)

mjo07 · Mar 30, 2013

Although I don't work in a prison, we have 2 Federal prisons and a Federal work camp 2 miles away. We get inmates from those facilities. They are always well behaved. I have not had an issue with one of the inmates in 13 yrs. I am assuming that they don't want to screw up being a quiet room with a tv and a nice bed away from the prison.
It is probably better to seek advice in the Correctional Nursing section Correctional Nursing

by the way, thanks for the link!

HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD · Apr 3, 2013

I don't think that there is a 'one size fits all' answer here. There are different correctional settings for sure - from clinic to acute care to LTC - under the 'correctional' umbrella.

Best approach is probably to ask the experts as suggested by the PP. I would also recommend taking some time for self reflection - explore your own ideas about providing care for incarcerated people. If you are of the 'scum of the earth' philosophy, then it probably isn't for you.

Medic/RN2B · Apr 3, 2013

Like someone said there is no cut and dry answer...it is a VERY dangerous job. Most of the prisoners for the most part are polite to med staff and we are talking about PRISON not just jail. Maybe you should try working in a jail first where you dont have murders etc.... when I worked for a 911 service we did calls to our local fed pen all the time. I NEVER had a prisoner that was out of control, rude, or ever did I feel unsafe. Of course you have guards everywhere. Actually the prisoners were more polite than most of my normal patients. Yes ma'am, no ma'am....we even did disaster drills out there for MCI'S and never walking in and out of the prison did I ever feel unsafe. But there is still a chance. It is a great job and being part of the GS system is good money. I def wouldnt want to work nights but I would take a day shift in a heartbeat! I wanted to apply for a medic position but my hubby wasnt having it. Good luck!

SuzieVN · Apr 5, 2013

Passing meds to stone cold killers who murder babies and will stab your eye out with a pencil if given half a chance maybe? Guys who plan on knocking out the guards and doing unthinkable things to you everyday, whether they get that chance or not, is up to how alert your guard is. Psychopaths trying to get into your mind like on silence of the lambs every day? I wouldn't/couldn't do it in a million years.

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