Question about Sick call on the range

[stephied]

How often do you see inmates on ranges and conduct sick line with them there?

[Eirene, ASN, RN]

We do not perform sick-calls on the 'ranges'. The inmates come to the infirmary.

However, if there is a mass OC (pepper spray) in a pod, the nurses will go into the pod and clinic check every single inmate (120-150 inmates) to check lung sounds, orientation, etc. The officers are never more than a few feet away when we have to go into the pods.

[momfullofcurls]

Hello and Hats off to The Correctional Nurses,

I am a school nurse and just checking out the roles of correctional nurses. I was wondering how would you define a "sick call" or "sick call on the range." I want to become more educated about what you all do.

Thank you.

[katkonk, BSN, RN]

I work in corrections in Texas as an RN and I think it would be helpful to state what state you work in. It has become obvious from reading posts that different states/regions term things differently. i.e. can I suggest just putting something like (TX state corrections) at the end of your post...whatever state and form of gov. applies. There could be feds and county, city nurses, etc. For instance, we don't use the term "range", but I can figure out what you mean by the context.

[CCHP-RN]

I have never done school nursing, but I have always thought Correctional nursing would be similar to it as well as military nursing. Believe it or not, our inmates are just like kids a lot of the time... always trying to get out of class or have an excuse to not do something or get special attention. The focus is triaging them and finding out if they have a valid medical need or not.

Cristi - TX, NM, AZ (BOP, State, Juvy, Community Corrections, etc. - multi facility)

[jschut, BSN, RN]

I just started as a Correctional nurse, but the inmates that are ill, make a sick call and the nurse decides if the doctor needs to see them or if it is something that could wait (like a dietary change or eye doctor exam...)

In the infirmary, we have guys that are ill enough to be in a hospital setting and need IV meds or 24/hr care.

No nurse goes "on the range" as far as I know. They all come to us.