Orca replied to Bluejay2002's topic in Correctional
1. How long was your training prior to working in the prison? I had a two-week orientation. 2. Do you feel the self defence course offered prepared you for attack? Somewhat. No training can prepare...
Orca replied to katchmoleen's topic in Correctional
Here are a couple of references that may help you. From the Florida Department of Corrections: http://www.dc.state.fl.us/pub/compass/0303/10.html A reference about HIPAA in forensic practice:...
I have not worked at the facility in question for about eight years, and they may have since changed their policy. What was even more puzzling to me about this is that although we were not affiliated...
As others have said, having a condition alone would not make you susceptible to losing your license. The way that illness affects you might. If it creates a condition in which you neglect, abuse or...
I worked on a restraint-free unit. It's a great theory, but there are situations in which restraints are the best recourse. Case in point: On a geropsych unit, I went to report. About midway through...
Assess your audience. You can find out a lot about what they need by talking to them and finding out their levels of knowledge and knowledge deficits. That way you can tailor your presentation to...
My sister mentioned an experience she had several years ago while working as a travel nurse. A physician decided to experiment with the use of Prozac with chronic ventilator patients. Of the 13...
I was put into a charge mental health position right out of nursing school. That was an odd situation - the hospital was opening a new mental health unit just as I was graduating. As far as getting...
I work in a medium-security prison. In our extended care unit, there are three inmates on clozapine. Blood work is required every seven days, and the orders are written for two weeks. A couple of...
Orca replied to SlavicNurse's topic in Correctional
In the intake area at my institution, the nurse gets base vital signs and gathers basic health information. The actual intake physical is done within the first week by a doctor or PA. An inmate can...
Setting limits early on is key. The first time you tell an inmate that it is inappropriate to make suggestive or sexually-oriented comments, word gets out that you don't tolerate it. The nurses who...
I have done one in my entire career - a timed blood draw when the lab tech was tied up elsewhere and she asked me to cover it for her. In the lab tech's office, she has a guide taped on the wall that...
I had something like this happen when I worked in a stand-alone mental health hospital. One of our intake staff didn't ask the right questions about this patient's medical stability, and he was...
My last hospital psych job was on a geropsych unit. The original concept was that we would not accept patients who were not ambulatory or able to care for themselves. This lasted until someone figured...
Orca replied to texascowgirl's topic in Correctional
I have not worked directly for one of these outfits, but I know plenty of people who have. Prison Health Services ran the medical operation at Clark County Detention Center (downtown Las Vegas) for...
Orca replied to LilRedRN1973's topic in Correctional
I work for the Nevada DOC at a medium-security prison about 40 miles north of Las Vegas. Correctional nursing in Nevada is the place to be, as far as I'm concerned. The state gave us a substantial pay...
Orca replied to LilRedRN1973's topic in Correctional
Working in corrections, about 90 percent of the job is how you conduct yourself. Apart from security concerns, there are very few differences in the way I operate inside the medium-security prison...
Orca replied to MickeymomRN's topic in Correctional
The owner's license does not supercede yours. If you are in a situation you consider unsafe and you accept the assignment anyway, the responsibility becomes yours. You are absolutely correct in being...
Orca replied to Trvln Nurse's topic in Nursing Humor
I was working the brain injury unit of a rehabilitation hospital. I needed to start an IV on a male patient who spoke only Chinese. I was making no progress trying to explain to him by gestures what I...
Orca replied to Trvln Nurse's topic in Nursing Humor
Two incidents stand out. Both happened early in my career, when I was working on an adult mental health/chemical dependency unit. The first was a male patient with bipolar disorder, who I would later...
Orca replied to autumn-moon's topic in Psychiatric
Mine was on paper also, but I took the test in 1998. I do not know whether they have gone to computers. It would have made things much easier (I finished the board exam in 25 minutes - the ANCC test...
I have worked in both types of environments. One facility I worked in had an enclosed nurse station with Lexan panels. The entry door to the nurse station was a Dutch door so that the top half could...
Orca replied to autumn-moon's topic in Psychiatric
If you mean the ANCC exam for Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing, I have taken it. After taking the exam, I was convinced that I had failed it. I thought that it was worse than the nursing board...