rewards of working with criminally insane???

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Hello, Fellow Nurses: I have recently been offered an opportunity to work in a well-regarded hospital for the criminally insane. This sounds like dangerous and frightening work. Can you give me any positive reasons why I might pursue this? Have you have gotten any kind of job-satisfaction from your experience in this field? Thank you.

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Specializes in Correctional Nursing, Geriatrics.

NurseToby,

I think a person has to have some interest in the area you are describing. Working in a hospital where the inmates/patients are "criminally insane" may be quite different than working in a correctional facility. Most of the people we see are not insane, they are career criminals who are in jail more than they are not. Some of them are people who just made a mistake and they do their time and we never see them again. Others, as I said, are "frequent flyers", they are like "bad pennies"...they just keep showing up. That said, however, I have, in my 4 years of correctional experience, seen some people, who I believe were psychotic (the real deal), but not actually "criminally insane"...most were there because they decide to stop taking their meds and to start listening to the voices in their heads instead! I have also seen a few people in that time, maybe 10 or 12...give or take....that I believe WERE criminally insane...and I can honestly tell you that I cannot think of any reason a person would want to work with this type of person. These people are scary. To me anyway...like I said, there are those that find this type of patient fascinating, but not I!!:uhoh21: In answer to your question about satisfaction...at times I have found satisfaction in helping someone who is TRULY sick and needs an advocate, unfortunately in corrections you will experience this alot less than in a hospital setting or other type of setting. Best Wishes whaterver you decide!:nurse:

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I worked part time for several years in a hospital which had several units for "forensic patients", including those "not guilty by reason of mental illness" (NGMI). I found floating to units where I didn't know any of the patients very stressful, but I enjoyed the units where I knew the patients. I also enjoyed the units where the staff had been together a long time and there was a real team spirit.

Working with these patients makes one think about a lot of heavy issues , like Evil, social worth, etc. Personally, I enjoyed working with patients who were psychotic but were helped by meds to become basically functional people without the symptoms caused by their illness. This meant that some went would go on to stand trial, and others would stay in the facility for life, but would be unlikely to ever hurt others again.

I also came to realize that some people can be helped by meds, but are still basically true sociopaths, or psychopaths. (And some are out to prove that they are sick-- just to stay out of prison)! You can't forget these patients can be dangerous!! However, in the hospital I worked in, the danger was acknowledged, and I felt like I had pretty good resources if things started to get out of hand. I did feel insecure when I was sent to the units where I didn't know the patients or staff.

In the end, the insecurity of floating, and the demands of graduate study made me decide to quit. (The pay was very very low, too.)They still have me on the schedule, but I haven't there worked for a year.

I think it can be a rewarding job. I suggest you check out the staffing, the orientation, and the security provisions if you are interested in the job. I don't recommend floating.

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The only thing I can say as I did this kind of Nursing for approx. 6 years is that it is a learning lesson that I guess I am glad that I have it behind me and that I would never do it again. Why? Mostly administration, state, federal rules. Pretty tough job when you can't keep yourself and staff safe when somebody else is writing the rules. Never again....

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Specializes in LTC, assisted living, med-surg, psych.

You mean there ARE some??

I can't think of a population I'd be less likely to want to work with. I'm glad there are nurses out there who can and want to do this sort of work, because it sure ain't my cup of tea.

Bless all of you.:)

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If you're trying to figure out any advantages to it, why would you take the job?

That said, I'm sure it's interesting from a psychiatric standpoint and also a moral one. I'd feel pretty gutsy if I was doing that work. Of all the people I've worked with in jail psych, I think only a few would be "criminally insane"... and it sure was interesting. You get impressed looks from people. Probably not for the overly trusting, faint of heart, or easily depressed....

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i CAN'T WAIT TO GET OUT OF FORENSIC PSYCHIATRIC NURSING. i TOOK THE JOB BECAUSE I NEEDED TO GET BACK INTO NURSING AFTER BEING OUT OF WORK FOR 6 YEARS, THEY WERE SO DESPERATE TO HIRE THAT I WAS HIRED OVER THE PHONE. I CAN'T IMAGINE WORSE PATIENTS THAN SOCIOPATHS AND MALINGERERS TRYING TO AVOID JAIL. THE TRUE PSYCHOPATHS ARE UNPREDICTABLE AND DOWNRIGHT DANGEROUS. THE CONSTANT THREAT OF VIOLENCE WEARS ON THE SOUL. SOME FIND IT FASCINATING. MORE POWER TO HIM . i AM HOPING MY DAYS ARE NUMBERED AT THIS JOB

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