4th year BScN student... senior clinical in corrections

[erindalhousie]

Hi everyone,

I'm currently a 4th year nursing student in Atlantic Canada. I'm due to graduate this May. Just though I would pick your brains about completing a final preceptorship at a correctional facility. I'll be doing a 10 week internship at a provincial correctional facility near me from Feb-May. Just wondering if any corrections nurses could advise me on how to get the most out of this rotation. I'm really looking forward to it, just a little bit concerned about not getting the psychomotor skills practice I would if I were doing a rotation on med surg/acute care. I did a mental health nursing co op at the same facility this past summer and enjoyed it. Ill be doing the medical side this time. any advice would be very much appreciated!

xo erin

[chulada77, ADN, BSN, MSN, APRN]

I think working corrections/doing a rotation will give you a different prespective of nursing. The ways that a hospital runs and a correctional setting are very different. Also, you may be pleasantly surprised that you have a "knack" for it. I personally prefer the inmates to the hospital patients any day of the week. There's still complaints but I seem to swallow them better at the prison. Plus in the prison you get to see all types of illnesses; you never know what'll come through that door and it opens up your assessment skills. You'll also get to experience malingering at its best and I think for a nurse to be able to weed out the BS for the real stuff is an important skill to learn.

[erindalhousie]

thanks very much for your insight.. really looking forward to my rotation :)