Prison?

[Medsport, LPN]

Anybody have experience working in a prison and if so what were the pluses and minus? You see, I worked in a local jail for a little over a year. It was very stressful with the intakes everyday and occasional emergencies. I thought I started to get in the groove at about the year mark, but got let go do to various reasons, but officially budget cuts. Now I work at an assisted living facility on 12 hour night shifts. This is actually the first job I ever had that I don't dread going to work most nights (unless we are short of aids for the night and it happens a lot). I would'nt mind staying there, but the pay just isn't enough with all my bills and being single. I have a PRN job at a nursing home also, but all the opening the past month have been either the same days I work at my main job or 1st shift which I can't do after working 12 hours. So this staffing place called about a job at a prison down in Lima that sounds like I would make at least 30% more and thats including the bonus I should be getting at my present job. But it is about an hour drive so that is also a factor. What do you guys think I should do? btw my present job offers very limited raises and practically no benefits, but the work is easy. The way I see it I either need to try the prison job (if offered) and look for a place closer eventually or try to pick up another PRN job and maybe also move to the town I work now, which is only about 20 miles away, but my family lives in that town and I think I can find a more affordable house there. I hate to move now as I only have 19 years left on the mortgage here, but the house needs a lot of work I can't afford to put into it and the taxes are getting ridiculous and are way too much now. Plus the water is very expensive here and gas bills are crazy in the winter for a fairly large 2 story house. I thought about a roommate, but not really feasible with my hours, cats and the way the house is set up...

[Medsport, LPN]

No replies? I'm starting to have second thoughts about the prison job. After doing some calculations, I discovered that even though the pay up front would be a lot more, it looks like it will pretty much even out after awhile. It looks like the base pay would be about $700 a month, which sounds like a lot, and would help pay a lot of bills. But, when you add in the longevity bonus that I'm supposed to get at 3 and 12 months at my present job (which I'm still waiting on the first one), that cuts that amount in half. The owner also just started small bonuses at work which amount to 50-150/month depending on our census (but still waiting on this also). Then if you subtract all the money for the extra miles I'd be doing, the difference is under $100/month. But I have a leased vehicle, so that would cost me more money at turn-in if I did'nt move closer. Of course if I did move closer, it would stay a big difference. Plus I don't know anything about the benefits there yet and I have pretty much none now except for free food and a couple holidays a year. I guess I'll have to decide if I want to stay in a comfortable job and keep scrimping for extra hours and cut back on expenses where I can (which there is'nt too much more to cut back on) or take a chance that a this new job will work out and deal with the added stress (which I'm sure there will be). I just wish I had an idea how safe it really is there...

[egglady, LPN]

you may have a better response if you post in the Corrections nursing forum!! Those are the nurses that will be able to get you alot of info and answer questions!!