GoBuckeyez10

In your considering the BOP.....Reconsider, toxic environment all around the country

The work relationship between medical staff and custody I would never believe if I didn't work in corrections. Sometimes I wonder if the Inmates or administration are bigger criminals. I have pepper spray on my belt always.

The age limit for Medical staff is waived. If you think it's something you really want to try, be advised that nothing happens fast in the Federal Gov't. I would advise going to usajobs.gov and completing an application now. Also, being able to pass a background and credit check is more important than knowing anything about nursing. They never called one of my references from my nursing background when I hired in.

This is present in The Federal prisons also. I work in a Medical center that houses over 900 Inmates. Custody, mainly Lieutenants and AW's who oversee medical get way too involved all the time. I'll give one classic example I have seen. Inmate John Doe is written for Narcs, over approximately 2-3 months is caught diverting po narcs multiple times, and a fentanyl patch with his name on it is found on another Inmate. His narcs are stopped and he is locked down on administrative detention status. 4-5 week goes by, and all of the sudden He has an order for methadone again. Prescribing MD documents in his order. "Associate Warden asked me to resume Inmate's pain medication" So much for safety and security of the institution. Very frustrating but an impossible fight in the Federal system. If I didn't work there I would never believe how much the Inmates are catered to. We sentence them to prison, appoint them an attorney because they can't afford one, and then let that attorney who the taxpayers are paying for threaten to sue the prison when they Inmates don't think they are getting the care they deserve. We are now treating Inmates with Heb C.........anywhere from 40-60K for their treatment. Only in America!

First, if you take a job in the BOP, your an officer first. If an inmate assaults or kills you, you won't be much help as a nurse. Nurses carry OC spray and handcuffs. Just the way it is. Second, the training in Glynco, GA is 3 weeks, not 8....not sure where you got that. You have classroom (it's like 8th grade level material), self defense training. The physical test is on day 2, you have to pass it to move on. For most people it's really easy. You have to run 1/4 mile and at the end place handcuffs on a person, go up and down steps with a weighted jacket on, complete a simple obstacle course, and do a dummy drag in the gym. I can't recall the time frames for all but they are pretty easy. If you fail you get a second chance the next day, fail twice and your on the airplane home the next day and looking for a new job. If your looking for a job with pretty good benefits, it might be for you, if your looking for a rewarding nursing position, stay away......Inmates appreciate nothing. Good Luck

I have worked in a Federal prison for 6+ years now, but I worked on a med surg unit for 2.5 years in the community first. My opinion is nurses need at least 1 year in the community before considering correctional nursing. Whether you are an officer, nurse, secretary, counselor, etc., everyone's first priority when working in a prison is safety and security of the institution. It's just too much to multi-task the corrections and the healthcare for a new grad.

Labor fight threatens inmate health care I currently work in a federal prison as an RN. I speak from first hand experience. It is appalling what PHS Officers think they are entitled to given the commitment that they choose to sign for, they accept the $25,000 sign on bonus, they get the 5 weeks of vacation and unlimited sick leave, they get the free health care.....yet they want to sit back in offices and let civil service do all the work. It's a disgrace. The fact that they call themselves "Officers", is a slap in the face to the real officers that serve and protect out country. They all know what they are signing for before they accept the $25K bonus, but then they want the seniority of civil service. They know they are giving this up when they choose PHS, yet then they put out this disgraceful quote that they are being treated as second class citizens. The sign on bonus could be $525K and I would not wear one of their uniforms. They are truly the only people I have ever met who are more entitled than the Inmates I work around. PHS are managment who are trying to change the rules have ruined healthcare in the Federal Prison system. The fact that Mr. Currie says PHS are treated as second class citizens is a crock. He should be ashamed! [COLOR=#333333] [/COLOR]

Luke, if you go BOP I would first ask them what their staffing level is currently. Not nurse to patient ratio, however, if they expect to have 100 RN's staffed, how many are they currently short. A very high % of Federal prisons are working short right now, some as low as 60%. We are around 15% short where I work right now and it's only causing more to leave due to burn out. I am not familiar with any of the locations you listed. Good luck. (and remember you have to do 20 years inside the fence to get you Law Enforcement retirement)

During our entire Magnet run, they had fliers posted everywhere, "Magnet, higher nursing satisfaction, better nurse to patient ratio's" Well apparently their idea of better ratio's means giving us more patient's. Our ratio just went from 4 TO 6 when giving chemo, this is on a medical/oncology unit. We have busy medical patient's to care for also when giving chemo! A 50% increase, and that's nursing satisfaction. We have lost 2 of our best charge nurses and more are looking for another job. What could be a good job TEMPORARY MANAGEMENT HAS RUINED! GB

There was a thread a while ago but I can't find it now. I know some people recommended Winston Salem State, any other thoughts on good online (and not too difficult) Programs? Thanks!