jailhousegranny

I work for CMS and I like it. We have been nominated for jail of the year. CMS like most companies you work for are only as good as your local or immidiate supervisors and administration. I don't agree with everything they say and do but I have had that happen everywhere I have ever worked.... if something bothers you so much you don't want to come to work then its time to look elsewhere.

Hi J, I am a county jail nurse . I have been here 5 years and I like it. We house around 1600 inmates (all Male) at any given time. We have had as many as 1900 at a time. The county is currently doubling the size of this jail. And medical will be getting an infirmary. Right now we have a full time PA that is here 5 days a week, an MD that is here twice a week and a dentist that is here 2 or 3 times a week. On days staff includes 3 RN's plus the DON and 5 lpns. Nights is 1 RN and 4 lpns. Days also has 2 MA's that assist the MD Dentist and PA. The enviroment here is fairly clean, NOT hospital clean, but as good as can be expected. The inmates are mostly just people who have made a bad choice. There are some who are hard core criminals but not all that many. If you treat them with respect they generally treat you the same. I try to start out that way with every new inmate, but sometimes they are just jerks. The ones that disrespect me get the same in return. I follow the protocall for over the counters and crushing psych meds so some of the inmates get angry. There is always an officer with me so I am not frightened, but we did have a nurse who was badly beaten by an inmate a few years ago. You just have to be alert and wary of any inmate who is too close or too friendly or too Anything. Yes there are nurses who are just mean but we try not to associate with them or encourage them so they don't last long. No the officers do not like it when you are too caring but they do expect you to provide adquate care for these guys because that makes their jobs that much easier. Anyway if you want any more info from me you can email me at [email protected]

Thanks to all of you for your replies.and Yes Proliability has good coverage at a very good price so I will change. NSO was not very helpful, I too had carried their ins for a long while and found out accidently that I was not covered. Not a good thing. Thanks again :):)

I work at a county jail and just found out my malpractice ins throgh NSO does not cover correctional nurses. Does anyone out there carry MP Ins. if so do you have a website or carrier name ? Thanks

I too work for CMS in a county jail. I have been here 4 years and I love it. You can find lousy nursing any where you go, I think it just depends on the Nsg. admin. If they let people slide at their work you end up with work not getting done and the inmates suffer for it.. Wages here are in line with the LTC facilitys for LPNs. It does take a while to get used to the not showing you care etc. because soooo many of these guys are just looking for a reaction..

NO not a norm..I work at the county level also contracted out and it is NOTHING like that...

I have been in corrections about 4 years now. I think my biggest change was learning not to believe anything an IM says. When some one first told me that I thought .. Well maybe you don't believe anything but I will try to keep some perspective!... 4 years later. Don't believe them! IMs lie about anything and they always want something.. I also find it hard not to try to help them when I can. I work in a jail so we see alot of come and go and come back. I am forever giving them copies of info from the free clinic and stuff. I try to encourage them to cont. meds esp. heart,BP or psych meds when they get out. The COs here still consider me a bleeding heart even though I have gotten a whole lot tougher. My husband says he can see the diff in me. I do love it and I don't think I will ever go back to sick old people...YUK...They will have to pry me out of here.. I also think the women are more crass than the men..but I work max..How much crasser can people get? Just my thoughts on it..Good Luck :wink2:

Thank you for your suggestions. I have been keeping the pressure on about the refusals and him getting to medical with everyone eles with mixed success. He comes and takes his meds and signs refusals for insulin and accuchecks. He is not brittle, he is only manipulative. In the four years I have been here I have never seen any one get charged for non compliance for meds etc. But I am going to approach my superviser Mon.am about this guy and all of your suggestions. Most of these guys just take their stuff on go on. We have almost no KOP here not even tylenol. Although it can be bought through canteen most of the guys come to med for it at least first time around. (canteen is only once a week) Our diabetics do not get charged for tx but if he continouse to call out for non emerg. tx after a refusal I am going to see if we can charge for that. That might get him to comply. Anyway thanks again for all your input.

I am so frustrated. We have an IM here who has been given way too many special treatments.. He is diabetic and takes N insulin Bid. He gets an accucheck and sliding scale coverage at the same time as his N insulin befor breakfast and befor supper. And here is the kicker... We had several MDs over the past 6 months and one of them gave him a med pass stating he did not have to get his accuchecks at the same time as everyone eles . He would be allowed to wait untill after breakfast and supper trays arrive on the floor.. Of course he states he is so brittle that taking his N insulin too early is dangerous because his blood sugar will drop befor he can eat.. Now our new MD has come to his senses and written a new order stating he is to be checked at the same time as the rest of the Inmates. Of course he is non-compliant and then calls out because his sugar is high and needs coverage. So what can I do? I can't refuse to see him because he is diabetic and is noncompliant with his diet as well. He will not be here much longer this time around so most of the nurses here just think we should let it go...but I think we are setting a bad example.. He threatens the whole "get my lawyer on it" ( my eyes are rolling) unfortunatly it worries some of the new MDs and Nurses. So what do you do in this situation? This is a county jail with just under 2000 IM. On nights we have 4 LPNs and 1 RN supervisor..Now there is someone who does NOT want to get involved in this mess.. Thoughts and opinions on this would be welcome

YES! I do but I do not post alot and I wouldn't put something in a post that I wouldn't want read.

Hey iwanna, DON'T panick. Correctional nursing is great. I do love it and we make less money here than we would at a nursing home on a baylor program. Correctional nursing is not demanding physically ie.. No lifting, no pt transferring, no bending over or standing on your head to do tx. in those low beds on the floor ( those beds seem to be all the rage in LTC fac. to prevent falls ) They may reduce falls but they are back breakers.!! But you do have to respond to emergencies, pass meds and do very minor txs. I work in a county jail. We have about 1600 inmates at any given time and there are about 400 in the area for which I am responsible. I probably see about 100-150 for different reasons on any average day. When I first heard I would be responsible for 400 inmates I panicked, but the work load here is much less than at a LTCF. This is not a job for nurses who like to fluff the pillows or want to make everyone comfy. I believe eveyone is entitled to adaquate medical care. And if you have the money to pay for pillow fluffing then go for it. but if I am footing the bill as a taxpayer then adaquate is what you should get. And I think if your honest about your abilities then hopefully whoever interviews you will be honest as well about the demands of the job. As far as nursing skills go, basic skills are needed behind the bars..some ER and psych background would be pluses as well.. Good Luck!