Should I or shouldn't I? Please Help!!!

[RN -Williams]

I am a new BSN RN with only one year of behavior health nursing experience so far but really needs to get out of it. I went into nursing hoping to be a medical surgical nurse but it never happened for me. I am terrified of the violent patients that we service everyday in behavior health and I hate having to help hold them down so that they can receive their injectable medications. I have been applying internally for almost 4 months now but with no luck. I have not even received an interview so far. I heard on our local news station that our county jail was hiring for jail nurses and decided to apply. They called me for an interview and then 6 months later called and offered me a full time afternoon shift with a union and all kinds of benefits. The only problem is that I am concerned that it may be to much like my behavior health position that I am desperately trying to get away from. Please help should I take it since no one else is calling me for an interview in medical nursing, and hope that it won't be as bad as my behavior health position at the local hospital? Or, should I try to be patient and pray and wait for a hospital medical surgical position to come through?

[kbrn2002, ADN, RN]

I don't work in that field so the best advice I can offer is to look right here on AN. There is a big forum dedicated to correctional nursing. Just click on "specialties" in the big yellow bar at the top of this [or any AN] page and scroll down to correctional nursing. Maybe you can find some good information and advice there from nurses that work in that setting already.

Whatever you decide to do...good luck!