Sick Call

Sick Call is widely known as being problematic in correctional health care, however, our nurses (in a 2,000 inmate jail facility) do their medication passes and upon completion, do collect and triage sick call requests (to make sure that the request is not an emergency, such as a suicide threat). The nurses then sign the requests, returning a copy to the inmate. These requests are then placed in a secure area in the medical records department, who then pull the inmate medical charts. The next AM, a regularly scheduled (7 day a week) Sick Call nurse completes the protocol and pre-printed MAR (as necessary), and administers the first dose of medication within 24 hours, all in compliance with standards. This process seems to work for us.

I don't exactly understand how your facility implements this--do they see a patient for sick call and give him his meds at the same time? Do they take sick call slips during med pass and then do triage after med pass is done?

My main concern would be that nothing should interrupt or interfere with med pass-the nurse needs total concentration. Where are meds given to the patients? From a specific med room off the block?

Dave Dunn, RN

(10 years experience in Philadelphia prison system)

I work in an 800 inmate facility. I perform doctor clinic one day a week and sick call 4 days a week. We are divided into 4 units and a sick call nurse assigned to each. The medications are given by the med techs. No other task should be included in giving medications. I also triage and schedule my own sick call appointment.