"Tainted" nursing experience?

bookwormom · Jan 7, 2012

I can't see how your experience could possibly "taint" you. You might have to make it clear, though, to possible a future employer , that you had experienced a broad range of nursing, if that employer were looking for a basic med surg background.

CapeCodMermaid, RN · Jan 7, 2012

I've worked with nurses who've worked in the prison system and did splendidly in a non prison faciilty. No matter what venue you work in, there are always skills you can use no matter where else you want to work.

libran84 · Jan 12, 2012

I'm an LPN. I graduated in Oct 2010. My first job was working for Correctional Medical Services (CMS), now known as Corizon. The job allowed me, as an LPN, to focus to the maximum extent of my licensure and while I thought on the job training was poor and everything was sink or swim, I learned immensely valuable assessment skills and gained great experience in Emergency Nursing and Trauma.

9 months into the job, I applied to a local hospital for a highly coveted ER LPN position. Thanks to choosing a Correctional setting over a LTC setting, I won the position and was told I had the most appropriate resume for the job. Things I hi-lited were my ability to handle the unexpected and I provided the example: A signal 3000 was called (an internal health emergency) and I ran myself and the crash cart over to South Dorm and discovered it wasn't an offender who was injured but rather a correctional officer who passed out. I then continued on discussing how I took control of the situation and began sending officers out of the crowded room by assigning them tasks to assist, instead of just taking up space and hindering my assessment by distraction.

I discussed how I handled minor trauma such as nosebleeds, heat exhaustion, and lacerations.

I discussed my experience with TB and MRSA, hi-lighting my education in the matter.

I further discussed my ability to empathize and still maintain a professional relationship with a combative and often misunderstood population with psychological issues.

When the interview concluded and I was asked if I had any questions I posed this to the managers. "What do you consider good customer service?" and I could tell I gave them a question no one had asked them before. It was great to leave on a thought provoking note.

While my prison was poorly ran, I do not regret the opportunity it gave me and I think I'm a much better nurse now because of it.

Multicollinearity, BSN, RN · Jan 13, 2012

The best nurse I have ever seen happens to be a correctional nurse. He had the best assessment skills I have ever seen, and he spent ~50% of his time doing patient education. I have seen more nurses in the correctional setting who are really, really bad, though. Corrections does attract some lazy, loser-type nurses. There is a stigma. It's the honest truth.

People are uncomfortable with jail or prison nursing. It puzzles them. The problem is nobody knows what we do except for other correctional nurses. There is this vague notion that we must pass a lot of meds and maybe treat colds and flu.

I confess I get a little secret pleasure (that I'd never admit elsewhere) when a new hire or agency nurse who has come from ED or critical care expresses discomfort or that they are unsure with what to do with various patient scenarios in our setting. I get more of that secret pleasure when we run a serious emergency call while being videotaped, and the agency nurse from ICU gets big eyes and gets afraid.

I do believe it is more difficult for a correctional nurse to get into acute care than it is for nurses from other non-acute care specialties. It's not impossible, though. We have to "sell" ourselves to potential employers. For example, if I were trying to break into acute care I would talk about how many IVs and blood draws I do per week, the emergency calls and what I (specifically) do, the assessment skills I have honed due to the need for a strong reliance upon objective data, EKG reading skills, etc. I would discuss how the unique setting has taught me problem-solving skills and a collaborative approach to get what my patient needs in a challenging environment. I would discuss time-management and multitasking skills used in the setting. I would then discuss differences (high-lighting my awareness) in the correctional practice setting versus working with the general public and what I would do differently in a non-correctional facility.

All that said, correctional nursing is a fantastic specialty, and I believe it is one to be proud of. We practice with tremendous autonomy. Properly done, correctional nursing has great depth and responsibility.

I believe a minority of correctional nurses become institutionalized after working in corrections and make poor nurses in other environments. This could be what the interviewer was referring to, albeit very poorly. To say a nurse would be better off working as a barista - that's just insulting and ignorant. It denies the skills and knowledge correctional nursing teaches. It sounds like a manager with ego issues who is enjoying his or her perch, looking down on nurses from other specialties. This kind of manager probably looks down her nose at dialysis nurses, too, for example. I'd run from that manager - wouldn't want to work for him or her.

Mapam · Jan 13, 2012

Ok first of all you are working in a SPECIALITY WITH NO LIMITS OR BOUNDRIES! I have been a RN for 27 yrs (ouch).i have worked, seen and done everything Nursing had to offer-(resume on request-LOL) or so i thought. In these past several months I have used every bit of knowledge and skill gathered over my career EVERYDAY IN CORRECTIONAL HEALTH. So kindly feel free to correct these -cough- recruiters and there antiquated (spelling) views! And on the way out remind them of the fact that they just lost a rare breed of nurse that can do it all any time anywhere- I bet you they transfere the indigent faster than a rat jumping ship! Sadly everbody has a comment-YES I guess correctional nursing has rep-but so do many other aspects of nursing that is not popular with the mainstream. I live in Mass and started at Boston City hosp-and you know "it was a tainted place to work" 1.got some of my best experiences and memories-I still use todday one hell of a strong foundation-2.as a traveling nurse Everybody knew about BCH and how it must have been incredible! Trust me in my first several years it carried a lot weight. 3. At one point Nursing homeNurses were considered at the bottom-and now acute care hospitals would go belly up without them- now they are skilled care facilities staffed with the sameindispensible!The list and my comments can go on and on.Yes, round off your career and seek experiences that will allow you grow. Thats our responsibility as Nurses. Teach the uninformed ones. Take care of yourself and promote confidence to your peers. Get certified in correctional health. Heck even that is new. Omg cant stop. P.S up until a decade or two ago-Nursing was considered a " tainted -job,it wasnt even considered a profession.

Mapam · Jan 13, 2012

Mental note spell check,grammer check,then post-Blame that on correctional nursing too. Be well!

Mapam · Jan 13, 2012

All my comments spelling etc. Refer only to my comments posted.

Mapam · Jan 13, 2012

Awesome post-So true

NottaSpringChik, BSN, RN · Feb 9, 2012

Thank you all who responded; love your comments. I do love being a nurse. I love working in corrections. I want other experiences too, so I can grow as a nurse and be a better nurse; hope to continue working in corrections.

Altra, BSN, RN · Feb 10, 2012

If it makes you feel any better, I have heard similar comments about emergency nursing.

And I wholeheartedly agree - you don't want to work for a manager who would make such comments. You'd be better off being a barista. :smokin:

ChuckeRN, BSN, RN · Feb 13, 2012

My comment would have been something like, "Yes, I suppose working on and around inmates who have committed cold blooded murder and even more heinous crimes has 'tainted' me in the sense I don't get flustered, intimidated or stressed out so much".