So Confused! Prison Nursing or Not?

NYRN08 · Sep 5, 2009

Well....just to let you know that I am also a recent new RN..(took boards in Nove) and like you have limited resources of employment at hospitals in my area. Seen an ad for correctional nursing and made the call to the administrator. It all depends on the facility...some don't want to hire new grads while other facilities are willing to give them a chance. I am very lucky b/c I have experienced nurses on my shifts that are all sweethearts...willing to help me out with anything...also when there is an "medical emergency" (what they call it at my facility anyway) I am not the only nurse to respond....we all go, not just the RN. The only downfall for me is that my position is only per-diem and I would like more hours or find another facility within a reasonable drive..(dutchess, sullivan, ulster counties) to work at...I really enjoy in this specialty. I say give it a try, what is the worst thing they can say..."no, we don't hire new RNs." Good luck and let me know how it goes.

sallynRN · Sep 5, 2009

Well....just to let you know that I am also a recent new RN..(took boards in Nove) and like you have limited resources of employment at hospitals in my area. Seen an ad for correctional nursing and made the call to the administrator. It all depends on the facility...some don't want to hire new grads while other facilities are willing to give them a chance. I am very lucky b/c I have experienced nurses on my shifts that are all sweethearts...willing to help me out with anything...also when there is an "medical emergency" (what they call it at my facility anyway) I am not the only nurse to respond....we all go, not just the RN. The only downfall for me is that my position is only per-diem and I would like more hours or find another facility within a reasonable drive..(dutchess, sullivan, ulster counties) to work at...I really enjoy in this specialty. I say give it a try, what is the worst thing they can say..."no, we don't hire new RNs." Good luck and let me know how it goes.

I think they do hire new grads. I had a little mini telephone interview, and she was reading my cover letter/resume and mentioned how I just took the NCLEX in July. She's going to send me a CORI form to fill out so they can do a background check, and she said we'll talk next week to set up a meeting in person.

But.... I can't decide if I actually want to go in and interview. I thought it might be interesting when I applied for the job, and it's so close to home, but now I guess I'm getting cold feet with all the negative comments I've read.

The other thing is that I applied for a 3-11pm shift, but she told me they had an internal applicant for that so she's looking at the 11p-7am shift for me, or she said something about two doubles (3p - 7a?). Holy crap! I don't even know if I'd be able to stay awake! Would there be enough to do on the 11p-7a shift? And, I don't want to be the only nurse at night!

I guess I'm putting the cart WAY before the horse (something I always do!), and I should at least go in and check out the facility, and discuss my concerns. If anything it will be interview experience. I just don't want to take a job (IF it's even offered to me) because there's nothing else out there. I would hate to go into it and absolutely hate it, and want to quit (I'm not a quitter).

Thanks for your advice NYRN - I will let you know what happens!

deyo321 · Sep 5, 2009

Keep in mind that when I say we don't hire new grads its because we don't have staffing to train them and even if we did, once off of training you would be alone. I don't think that is fair to a new grad. If the place is big enough to warrant say over 4 nurses on a shift, and they are committed to helping/mentoring you then it could work.

I worked 3p-7a LTC right out of school. I thought, cool only two days a week. It didn't work out that well for me, but everybody is different. I would also be concerned if you are the only nurse at night. Corrections can encompass many nursing specialties and there is much that is unique to corrections only. You need experienced assesment skills.

So you want assurance that they have staff available to help you. Your life experience is a plus. Go to the interview and see if it is for you. You may know immediately that it is not. If not try it, it is the best job I have ever had.

One more thing, sometimes it is good to be a quitter. I learned that relatively late in life. I stayed in many positions and even relationships because I thought I was tenecious and that it was a sign of character. Bull dookey. If you are miserable move on...fast.

sallynRN · Sep 5, 2009

Keep in mind that when I say we don't hire new grads its because we don't have staffing to train them and even if we did, once off of training you would be alone. I don't think that is fair to a new grad. If the place is big enough to warrant say over 4 nurses on a shift, and they are committed to helping/mentoring you then it could work.
I worked 3p-7a LTC right out of school. I thought, cool only two days a week. It didn't work out that well for me, but everybody is different. I would also be concerned if you are the only nurse at night. Corrections can encompass many nursing specialties and there is much that is unique to corrections only. You need experienced assesment skills.
So you want assurance that they have staff available to help you. Your life experience is a plus. Go to the interview and see if it is for you. You may know immediately that it is not. If not try it, it is the best job I have ever had.
One more thing, sometimes it is good to be a quitter. I learned that relatively late in life. I stayed in many positions and even relationships because I thought I was tenecious and that it was a sign of character. Bull dookey. If you are miserable move on...fast.

Great advice deyo, thank you! I'll probably at least go for the interview to find out what kind of training/support they have. Right now the position is 24 hrs/11p-7a w/ the possibility of 32 hrs/2 doubles. I don't think I could handle the doubles at my age, and I'm not even sure I could handle the 11p-7a. What I'd REALLY like to do is LTC or Rehab nursing on a 3-11p shift, but again, my options for employment are EXTREMELY limited, and I don't know how long I can go w/out a job. Although I'm not a quitter, I've also learned through life experience, and I've spent enough time being miserable in love, work & life to not waste any more time being unhappy, but instead put MY health & happiness 1st for a change. One of the reasons I went to nursing school (finally) so late in life!

bermuda56 · Sep 5, 2009

I have to agree that working in an acute care hospital setting is the best way to get your feet wet - I recommend that to ALL new nurses! I am now a correctional nurse and absolutely love it!!!! I had the opportunity to work as a temp in another prison 8 years ago, so I knew what I was getting into. It is much like being a clinical nurse (like in a doctor's office), but in a specialized field. There is ALOT of HEP C, pyschiatric issues and psych meds - also annual health exams, vaccinations and sick calls. Of course there are the emergency response calls after an altercation, pepper gas spray, and self mutilation. So far everything has been rather minor, have had a couple of inmates cutting self on arm (2 different instances). We have one nurse who has been a nurse for a while, new to corrections, who looks like a scared deer in headlights whenever she comes to work, I don't think she will last very long. I am 53, and my interaction with them has been mostly good. I had one get mad and ask me (yelling)why I forgot his meds the night before. I stood up to him and told him "because I am human and I make mistakes!! Why are you in prison??" He responded because he made a mistake!! You can't let them scare you, you have to stay consistent. I've been there for almost 3 months and love it more than I thought I would - different strokes for different folks!!!

Truegem · Sep 14, 2009

I say go for it! Ya gotta be a little tough, though. And you can't be the type who needs to be friends with their patients because inmates are not your friends. You are friends with your coworkers. I have talked to some nurses who say they could never do it because they want to nurture their patients. They are probably not meant for this type of nursing.

I find corrections very interesting and every day is something new. If you like adrenalin, then it might be for you. We hire a lot of ER nurses and they love it!

We have some tough, hard-core nurses, but we also have some very sweet, delicate 110 pound nurses, ha ha! We have nurses who are a little naive and nurses who aren't.

I've said it before and I'll say it again....I feel safer in the jail than I do on the streets.

(I don't know if the prison nurses feel the same way, but we feel this way at the jail.)

Good luck with your decision!

=)

Orca, ADN, ASN, RN · Sep 16, 2009

Correctional nursing isn't an ideal situation for a new grad, but you have to do what is necessary to make a living. One piece of advice I would give you is to forget much of what you have been taught about being nurturing and caring. Male inmates in particular will either turn that around on you in an attempt to manipulate you, or misinterpret it as a sign of romantic interest (remember, people aren't incarcerated for exercising good judgment).

sallynRN · Sep 16, 2009

I'm so confused about whether or not prison nursing would be the right job for me. I'm a new grad RN and there is a possibility of a part-time job (24-32 hrs/wk; 11p - 7a) at a max security facility 15 min from home. I've been reading a lot on these boards and many say prison nursing is not for the new grad. I'm 44, and nursing is a career change for me so I have no experience. Right now my options for employment are VERY limited as no hospitals, and even most nursing homes are not interested in new grads with no experience. Don't know what to do!

Thank you to all who responded to this thread. After a lot of research, and much consideration, I decided NOT to interview for the prison job.