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My company has even cut OT. I guess next step is teaching patients how to monitor themselves!

Just curious...what travel company do you work for? Sounds like you are very satisfied and I'm searching. Thank you so much for your time. Any direction will be very much appreciated! :)

Thank you so much for the info!

I just went yesterday for an interview at a local VA and I REALLY want this position!! I've been in the nursing field for 10 years and would like to settle in with the VA for many, many reasons. Anyhow, I feel as though I did well in the interview but I don't understand the portfolio for HR. I was told that IF I was even considered, I would still go through a process of building a portfolio for HR before being accepted for a full time position. I am really stressing over this thing and would like to know if anyone could give me a little run down on what they ask for so I can get started on getting the info together....just in case I make it through the interview process. Thank you all for any comments. I greatly apprecite you for anything you can tell me.

Donna, I have worked as a Corrections Officer for 7 years a Sergeant for 4 a Lieutenant for 4 and a Captain for almost 5. I see no reason that you shouldn't do what you like. I have been in Corrections since 1991 in Kentucky then when to Virginia for the last 12 years. Please do what makes you happy. If Correction Nursing makes you happy go for it. Let me know what you deceided. You should do what makes you happy. I did and know I'm 15 years into it and can't wait to retire out of it Later. Go get'em guy or Girl!!!

I was a correcional nurse for 7 years and I'm only 30. All I knew for the most part in nursing and I was good at it and proud of it. Makes you extremely independant at work and home (so controlling spouses need not apply), makes you watch your back at any location at work and elsewhere, selling yourself to the devil is one way to express it...I always said we were in the devil's playground at work (affairs between staff members [not inmates:angryfire], liars, lazy people, manipulators, back stabbers--I'm talking about the workers, not all but most), and cussing!!! GEESH!! F this and F that. Causes potty mouth outside of work after a while. You yourself become institutionalized. Fortunately I worked in supermax prisons so inmate contact was minimal and we didn't see inmate staff issues as much as lower levels do. Yes it affects you. I have been a ICU nurse now for 6 months and I can tell a huge diferferance in myself and how I handle my patients. I love to love them again. But some of my ICU buddies use the "f" term more than my prison nurse buddies! Some days are hard no matter what or where in nursing. But I value my years in corrections, great job with great state benefits but you have to separate work from life or your longevity is at stake. Hope this helps!

About six years ago we did care plans at my facility before going to COI charting. Not that difficult. Just remember your ADPIE and you'll be great. When they first come in on intake (e.g.), "knowledge deficit r/t new facility" then list interventions: "oral and written orientation provided to (name of facility) medical department. verbal understanding noted. continue to monitor per policy and as needed." Say they get a superficial abrasion from fighting another inmate. This gives you too great nsg dg. First "anxiety r/t altercation with another inmate" interventions "offer comfort measures, monitor vital signs, refer to mental health, follow up as needed" Then reassess for your evaluation of care. Second "risk for infection secondary to skin breakdown" interventions "instructed on keeping area as clean as possible using soap and water to area and will provide triple antibiotic ointment twice daily times three days per nursing guidelines for increase infection control, healing. Inmate verbalizes understanding of self care. To return to medical with and futher problem." All this seems basic and straight to the point, but that's the style you need to have in correctional nursing. It's actually harder than critical care because you have to learn to be basic with your approach which goes against what a lot of us are used to doing in the "customer care" approach at hospitals. Also, your facility may be advanced in it's practice and have handy little worksheets already mapped out for you to use during assessments instead of having to do narrative charting. May not hurt to suggest this to your supervisor if it will help you all in the medical department. Hope this helps!

....how I feel about this topic. Not only are these people ruining their lives, careers, and the lives of their loved ones; they are also endangering the safety and security of everyone working at their institution. There's a correctional lieutenant in my state up for charges for impregnating a female inmate. People need to realize that inmate's see us as the enemy just like they see security as the enemy. They get a lot of recognition for bringing any staff member down. Anyone heard of the website for inmate personals? I'm not sure of the exact address of the site, but inmates can post their pictures (I guess their families do it for them) and profiles. CAN YOU BELIEVE THIS!!!!!!!!!! I heard about it in my yearly inservice class. Sad world we live in if people go to internet sites intentionally to meet inmates. Maybe it's "hug a thug".com:lol2:

#1 goal SAFETY Security first--always--NO MATTER WHAT!! The security staff will secure the area before we intervene no exceptions Immediate response time (close watch area) nursing has four minutes by policy to respond...but usually there Never an emergency with staff. Thank God. Yes, female's cath males--not unlike anywhere else Don't have female inmates

After that big huge thread I left, I did leave this out. It is so true. You better have a great foundation in nursing and know your stuff. You need to make sure your facility offers a good training including games inmate's play, CPR and First Aid, gang related violence, etc. Correctional nurses unfortunately get a bad rep in some places. We can't work anywhere else, we are at the bottom of the barrell, blah, blah. Good luck to those who want to try it out with that attitude! You better follow your skills and training because when you are in medical and an inmate is rushed to you bleeding out from the "buck fifty" his rival gang cell partner gave him walking back from chow--not only are you #1 responding to a medical emergency alone with no doctor and #2 keen on what just happened as a security threat on so many different levels--you are now a day in the life of a correctional nurse!! I know this senario all too well because is happened to me. One of many times quick nursing judgement saved someone's life, and my job. So be cautious to that, and know that emergencies will happen. Better know what to do.

ABOSLUTELY!!! Correctional nursing is my specialty I am 30 years old, been in correction 6 out of ten years in nursing. So it's safe to say I've seen a lot a WHOLE lot!!! Not many nurses make it in corrections as long as I have. The numbers will show it's pretty much been what I've done most of my adult life. I have been a LPN for 3 years and a RN for 3 years in corrections. I have worked maximum (5.5 years) and supermax (6 months) prisons. The "worse of the worse". They are generally abusive and assaultive toward us, other inmates, or themselves. I now work in a 23 hour lock down institution housing inmates that just can't make it in society...or prison. So they don't care what they do or how they act. I am here to tell you now--they will try every manipulative malingering trick in the book!! You have to be professional and attentive ALWAYS. They may be criminals, but they are human beings and our facilities in which we work and our state in which we are licensed pays us and expects us to provide medical services to this population in which our code stands for. Trust me also, a policy and procedure book for the department of corrections will be 40 times bigger than that of any acute care facility anywhere!! AND the inmates know every word!! No it is not for everybody. Correctional nursing is like any other specialty...you either love it or hate it, you better know your job well to do well, and as long as you remember you will always learn something new everyday and continue to grow, you will be fine. Yes, most correctional nurses are "rough" around the edges. Or so we may seem. It is part of what I like to call the "finesse" of being a correctional nurse!! Thoses who work it know what I mean. Fact is we are the nurses who still follow the Florence Nightingale style of nursing. A role model environment on which our actions can make or break us. Lashing out at an inmate only brings you down to their level, is unprofessional, and will not stand in any court in this land. We aren't there to judge them--that has already happened. No I'm not liberal, far from it. BUT if you want to make it in corrections for many years you must remember not to let the inmates get you to their level, never fall pray to their tricks--and know that your only job is to give them only what they need, nothing more. Nothing more. No more press ganey reports on which people that know nothing about your profession get to decide how good of a job your doing, no more "would you like fries with that?" kind of nursing. Not that being a helpful nurse is bad, I think what corporate nursing is trying to do to help people is wonderful. Just not always rational with patient ratios sky rocketing for nurses and resourses falling to an all time low. You can actually be a nurse in a correctional setting, a great one who is autonomous and confident. Just try it--do your job above and beyond anything--realize they have criminal minds with nothing but time to think up ways mess with your mind if you don't maintain your professionalism--and also realize that no matter how well you do, how professional you are, some of these guys/gals just lack the reasonability/personality to be anymore than childish, rude, manipulative, malingering, and they will test you everyday forever!! They will sue you because you accidentally forgot to bring them their dry skin MD ordered cream stating you are "negligent" and providing malpractice. Rediculous as that may sound, it is an everyday reality for us prison nurses!! Most likely they are lashing out at us because they are mad or upset at someone else. Generally they like us, and respect us. In a prison environment of 1000--1200 inmates in which I've worked, generally less than 100 are our "frequent flyers" and mad manipulators toward medical staff. That's a great statistic if you ask me. Except on the day they all decide to start! Being laid back may work to your advantage as long as you keep in the back of your mind that being laid back with your approach may help you deal with their behaviors...but remember they aren't your friend. If you do anything outside of policy for an inmate (I mean even the smallest of things you would normally disregard--say give one a band aid without charting it, if that is your facilities policy) than he/she's got you. I'm here to tell you right now that inmates know policy and procedure and constitutional laws better than any of us ever will, and believe me also that they will get you on the "hook" real quick and snitch you out for a pack of ramen noddles and you left without a license looking like a dumba** nurse that fell for an inmate. So don't let your laid back style get you to that point. Go to work, do your job, go home. Realize two things while your there---If they make you mad, you get to go home, they don't, so you're already one up on them...retaliation is never necessary for foul acting inmates. #2 they let you go home. Yes, I said it THEY LET YOU GO HOME. I don't care if you work in a facility where 500 inmates rec together, or they're locked under the prison with minimal movement...they let you go home. So be professional, enjoy your job, because inmate's say the darndest things, you'll laugh everyday (I promise!) and remember safety and professionalism is key. If you have any questions, I'm glad to help. If you're curious and want to hear a few good prison nurse stories...my cup runneth over!! I've got 1000's and will share...of course within hippa regs. So go for it! BUT NEVER, NEVER TRUST AN INMATE We aren't there to make friends. It can ruin your life. I've seen it more times than I care to remember. Good luk to you in any decision you make!!

The state prison I work for gives nurses 8 weeks of training. Nurses with experience in ER, med/surg, psych have an easier time with learning to be a correctional nurse. The self defense course is adequate--but good luck defending yourself against a 200 pound inmate that works out 8 hours a day. We learn in training how to react in hostage situations. Fortunatley on that basis; our inmates have minimal movement, and hostage situations haven't been an issue since the prison opened in 1998. Honestly though--I would be terrified. Who wouldn't? I have never performed CPR on an employee, but know of two situations to tell you. Neither cause was inmate related. First was a 30-something correctional officer who had a torn aorta rupture at work. He survived. The other was another 30-something correctional officer who had a massive heart attack, while on post, half his body was fully cyanotic by the time he got to the nurses in medical (maybe 3 minutes at most). He was worked on, but unfortunately passed away. Hope this helps!

I have worked corrections for 6 out of my 10 years in nursing. I have only worked supermax/max security prisons in which we administer the insulin ourselves. There are many inmates that come to our prison that have told me that the institution they came from let them stick themselves. So, in answer to your question, apparently this is common practice. The best advise I can give you as a nurse is always go with your gut. If it feels wrong to you--it probably is. My biggest concern of course is safety--weapon wise, and disease transmission. Those people who you refer to that "trust" inmates need to find another job. My opinion.

Hi all! Any help is worth so much to me right now. Making a BIG life altering decision for my family and need some help. I am a RN and am considering a position at Georgetown Hospital. Need help with the following: best place to live (e.g. myrtle beach, etc.), anyone know anything about this hospital? and MOST important--is the "grand strand" happy place for a 10 and 7 year old boy to be raised? My husband and I live a great life right now and I don't want to upset it all. We are just in need of change because we live in a very rural area. The closest mall to us is 45 miles away. Very small town, not much to do with my babies. I realize that area of the country has a problem with crime, but I grew up most of my life outside of D.C. and know a lot about dealing with living in a high crime area. Thank you all for anything. I have been researching day and night (when not working and on my breaks when working) and I have absoultely crammed my head full of so much information--but to hear from some of you who have lived it would offer me such peace about any choice I make. Thank you all!!

I work with an older nurse who charts like she talks. A man was on go litely and she charted "on toilet-go litely working."