2003rn ASN, RN

Just wondering if there are any of you who work for the Veterans Administration Hospital in Huntington, WV or elsewhere. What kind of salary, benefits, working conditions, etc. do you have?

:eek:I also think the PTO time with Wexford leaves a lot to desire. Having to use it as sick time, if you are a few minutes late you are charged 15 minutes of your PTO time, with this system, you can hardly ever build enough time for a vacation.

We aren't allowed to wear khaki (general population inmates), red or orange (segregation i/m) or bright yellow (diagnostic i/m), we can't wear denim scrubs either.

I started in correctional nursing at the age of 49, I am now 54. I love it. I don't think you'd have any problems at all. :[anb]:

We have Wexford, it's ok, but PTO time isn't good. We have to use PTO as sick time as well as vacation time, also if you're late, even by one minute, you get 15 minutes of PTO time taken away, it just isn't fair. We are in need of new equipment, (the...

Thanks for your input. Our MARs are preprinted, but there are so many new orders or changed orders by the time we get them, that we pull charts to make sure the orders are written correctly. Changeover is a big deal for us, we have to have every MAR ...

:rolleyes:There have been a lot of med errors in the last few months in our correctional facility. We are double checking physician's orders, checking each others orders as they are taken off the order sheet and placed on the MARs. Does anyone have a...

So far, CMS seems like they're fair, any other comments about them?

To lpnflorida, In our facility, the inmates fill out medical service requests when they have an illness, these requests are picked up and triaged everynight. If there is someone who is suffering from pain (toothache, severe headache, etc) the nurse c...

We have discussed the commissary list with the higher-ups. They refuse to make changes. Even the prison cafeteria serves bad choices. The inmates have all the bread and butter that they want(no limits) An ice cream scoop is used to dip the butter. Th...

Another thing...Our I/M's get to order commisary a couple times a month, they get sodas, candy, cookies, pepperoni, ramien noodles, chips etc. The diabetics eat all that junk, then come to medical with a blood sugar over 500, I think they should be w...

I work in a women's correctional facility, >450 inmates. We charge $3 for a sick call, there is $2 more if they are referred, $3 more if they complain about something other than the original sick call complaint. We are starting to give out nurse p...

I work at a women's max. security prison. The only thing going on at pill call is passing meds. If the med nurse thinks the I/M really needs medical attention, the I/M is sent to the medical unit. We always have 2 nurses on duty, the LPN usually pass...

We crush all narcotics.

I work in a female correctional facility, there is never an inmate in our unit without an officer there. Our officers watch our cleaners in every exam room, etc. In my opinion, I wouldn't want the inmates there without an officer.

Our contract with CMS was out bid by another company-Wexford- Have any of you heard of this company? We don't know what to expect, just got word about the change today, it will take effect Jan. 30,2008. Any knowledge of this company would be much app...

I'm not sure if it the same Wexford or not. I hear that Wexford got all the prisons and jails in our state (WV). I have worked for CMS for 2 years and have no complaints about their company. Thanks for the reply.

What are your thoughts or experiences on force feeding an inmate who refuses to eat? The inmates K+ is dangerously low and he refuses to accept meds and food.

Hi, I have a question concerning a new treatment for heart blockages. My husband had a stress test today. (He has had 2 CABGs, 5 stents, at least 7 heart caths-in the past) His doctor told him that if the result of the stress test showed more blocka...

Thanks, I wasn't thinking, I know that it takes a heart cath to show blockages...Like I said, I didn't get to go in with him while he was having the test, he told me what the Dr. said, and it probably was what you said (tweaking his meds to help). An...

I recently heard a rumor that the state (WV) was taking over our medical dept at the prison. We are currently employed by CMS. Do any of you have any insight on these possible changes? I was wondering if benefits/pay rate would be better/worse? Thank...

1. No special training. 2. Self-defense course not offered. 3. Don't know 4. I've never had to perform CPR yet.

Our KOPs consist of B/P meds, inhalers, aspirin, motrin, antibiotics, saline nasal spray, eye drops, vitamins, thyroid meds. No psych drugs are given KOP, not at our facility. The KOPs are to be kept in the cell, not to be carried around in your pock...

Do any of you nurses have to do daily blood draws? I just started working in a correctional facility a short time ago. At the nurisng home where I worked before, we had a phlebotiomis to stick our residents. Doe anyone know of a site that would have ...

There is an LPN working in the correctional facility where I work, her husband is a corrections officer. They have had no problems. She works days, he works nights. I worked in a nursing home 3 years and just started a few months ago in corrections a...