Required education

[sweetsarah116]

Hi,

I dont normally start threads but lately ive been getting very frustrated with the lack of education my job offers me and i was wondering if anyone else has issues where they work? Or if your job offers education, what sort of topics are discussed?

Ive been a correctional nurse for alittle over three years at a small county jail. I dont work for the county though, im contracted through a hospital, which might be the issue. Im required by the hospital to do all of their educational topics (fire safety, safely transfering a patient, etc) but nothing that relates to my job. My supervisor also does not provide me and the other nurses i work with, with any additional training besides yearly review of blood draws and EKG machines.

I guess this turned into more of a vent than a question. I want to be the best at my job as much as possible. I love to learn, i plan on continuing my education. I want the nurses i work with to the best they can be also and well educated on the different situations correctional nurses face. I would appreciate any thoughts on this.

Thanks. Sorry again for the vent.

[Orca, ADN, ASN, RN]

A lot of employers leave nurses on their own to get continuing education. My agency has recently improved things, hiring a training coordinator for my region of the state. She has done an excellent job of arranging various speakers and other educational opportunities.

One of the biggest topics around the correctional health care community is Hepatitis C. It is insanely expensive to treat, and it would literally bankrupt correctional agencies around the country if they were required to treat every case. My agency (and I suspect many others) does not routinely screen for hepatitis at intake, because of the possibility of creating an expectation of treatment. Inmates who show potential symptoms of hepatitis are screened, as are any inmates involved in potential bloodborne exposure incidents.

Another big topic is HIV. Medications have improved drastically over the past 15-20 years, and the overall outlook for those who are infected is much more positive than it was back then. That said, there are still major issues with medication compliance, and because of the development of resistant strains of the virus, it is often better for an inmate to have no treatment at all than to take antiviral medication sporadically.

Recent studies have shown a connection between long-term NSAID use, even at moderate dosage levels, and future cardiac events. Naproxen is the only one that shows no adverse cardiac effects. Correctional facilities often pass NSAIDs out like candy. That may need to be rethought.

It's a bit expensive to go, but if you get the opportunity, the National Convention on Correctional Health Care is held annually at different locations around the country. This year's conference is in Dallas in October. You spend several days getting information on a wide variety of topics, and you choose which lectures that you attend. It is also an excellent opportunity to network with colleagues from around the country. There are several lectures going on simultaneously throughout the day. At the end of the conference you turn in your paperwork and you receive CEUs based upon how much of the conference you attended. For more information, go to:

Correctional Health Care Standards | National Commission on Correctional Health Care

[DawnJ]

I work for a Correctional Medical company and they have mandatory training on applicable things like ETOH withdrawl, pregnant & addicted to opiates, common infections, etc.

[sweetsarah116]

Thank you so much for your help and insight on this! I really appreciate it.