Cindpi

I believe the medical centers hire LPN's. Rochester, MN; Springfield, MO; Burtner, SC; Carswell, TX. I do suggest you call the Employee Services Department. They are generally very helpful.

Call the HR department directly. Not sure where in Texas you are but some of the facilities hire LPN/LVN or EMT's

It depends on where you are applying. Beaumont, TX was all contract medical when I left the agency. Houston I believe may be too. There are plenty of facilities in TX just depends on where exactly you are. Dallas has more than one facility but also is home to the only female medical center for the Feds in Carswell. I believe they employ LVN, RN and mid level practitioners. The most difficult part of working for the BOP is the hiring process. They require a squeaky clean credit record and if you get to the interview process, don't lie. Integrity is important. If you are less than honest and this is found through the background check process you will be fired. Also, you will need to prepare for being gone for three weeks soon after you hire. You have to go to Glynco, GA to the FLETC training academy. It is actually Brunswick, GA but within the BOP they always refer to it as Glynco. You have to be able to complete the same training as the correctional officers and qualify on weapons, self defense and complete all aspects of physical fitness. Good luck to you and reach out to me anytime. BOP is a great place to work but it is like any other employer, they have their own set of issues. There is no perfect place to work. I liked my job, I liked my employer and I most often liked my bosses. I loved my coworkers and the challenges that the job presented on a frequent basis. It paid the bills and I was able to retire at age 50. I forgot to mention, all staff are correctional workers first. Keep that in mind, you have to respond to not only medical emergencies, you may have to respond to correctional emergencies. That is one of the reasons that the pay is much higher than the private sector.

You would be fine. You already have a good correctional base.

Corrections in general may be challenging both physically and mentally. My experience with corrections is that it takes a special person to survive the every day challenges. Be it jails, state or federal, corrections is not for everyone. BOP does have its own set of challenges but in general is a great place to work.

I was employed by the BOP for 28 years and I loved every single day. I worked as a nurse for the first 9 years and then made a career shift for the last 19 years of those 28 years. I since have retired and am now working in a State Correctional Center but returned to nursing. The BOP is not for everyone. At risk of sounding arrogant, I suggest you do some soul searching. If you do not have mental strength and a good work ethic, don't bother.

HouTx, that is kind of my thoughts as well. I am thinking that maybe the organizations who represent the LPN's should push back. In my humble opinion, this specific legislation is absurd and a hindrance to daily operations. LPN's can draw labs, start IV's, in some states hang blood and do almost everything an RN does with minimal exceptions (chemo, IV push, etc....) Planting a Montoux test isn't quite the litigation magnet that they seem to infer with this ridiculous law. There are LPN's who would love to have no responsibility but I am not one of them. I may have to push some buttons and rattle some cages. I need a new challenge anyway.

I am a newbie to Virginia nursing so a question for those who may have history on the law, how did this come about? How many Virginia LPNs knew that the State regulations do not allow an LPN to administer the Tuberculosis tests without an RN present? I am originally licensed in Missouri, practicing now in under compact in Virginia and recently found that an LPN can not plant a TB test without direct supervision of an RN. This policy is enforced at the facility's in which I work and rightfully so based on law. It is their interpretation that the RN must have DIRECT Supervision of the administration of the test. Although, LPNs may be left to run an entire shift for 12 hours without an RN or other superior medical professionals available or on site. They must have direct supervision from an RN to plant a Mantoux Test? Evidently this law was passed and has been enforced since 2003. HB 2302 Administration of controlled substances by nurses. This law provides that prescribers may authorize RNs or LPNs under the supervision of an RN to possess and administer PPD in keeping with Department of Health guidelines. It also establishes that the Commissioner of Health can authorize RN's to possess and administer PPD at their discretion, based upon policies and guidelines of VDH.