What is your most outrageous medical emergency repsonse in a correctional facility

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Tell us your most outrageous emergency medical responses within the correctional facility where you work.

No offense, I guess I have an idea why, but it sure seems like you guys are a pretty callaced (sp?) bunch. I have flirted with the idea to go into correctional nrsg, but reading all this makes me think ...nah, maybe not. I kind of want to keep my sense of compassion.

I'm a med surg hospital nurse, dealing with my share of DT's druggies, drunks a jail birds, but I still can't help to feel sorry for them... Like taking care o these unwanted souls for some reason... Am I naive?

Not callous, realistic. You can care and still see the funny side of a situation. It helps you get through the difficult parts. After retiring from hospital and administrative nursing I went to work in a single nurse, part-time doctor medical office of a county jail. It really is not that different from what you see in hospital

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No offense, I guess I have an idea why, but it sure seems like you guys are a pretty callaced (sp?) bunch. I have flirted with the idea to go into correctional nrsg, but reading all this makes me think ...nah, maybe not. I kind of want to keep my sense of compassion.

I'm a med surg hospital nurse, dealing with my share of DT's druggies, drunks a jail birds, but I still can't help to feel sorry for them... Like taking care o these unwanted souls for some reason... Am I naive?

Correctional nurses talk a lot like the people did on MASH...We can be a pretty dedicated and devoted bunch but you have to laugh a little or you not survive. We see the worst thing. Our patients are a stigmatized population (well usually for good reason) and some of the stigma rubs off on us too....many Thanks to those who recognize we are doing a good but thankless job.

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I was filling the med drawers in the nursing office when I heard the booking officer call over the radio that she needed backup. The Shift Sgt called back to ask what the problem was and the booking officer raised her voice in a quiver and said "I need someone here now". The tone of the voice had me going out the door. By the way, I am the sole nurse in this county jail. When I got to booking, she pointed at the drunktank and there was an inmate lying on the concrete just the prettiest shade of blue-purple I had seen since the morgue. Had a good strong pulse and when I moved his head, got an exhale but not an inhale so had to give a few breaths. He pinked up immediately. EMS arrived approx. 15 min later. Come to find out , the D**ba** had been pulled over by a trooper for speeding and thopught he should get rid of his narc stash. The rest is history.Craziest and scariest-CO's reacted very well but took me a few days to wind down.

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Specializes in Corrections, Cardiac, Hospice.

WOW! What a ride it was, rofl. I loved it, but got pregnant with my son and decided I needed to get out. Here are some of my better stories:

60 some year old man gets brought in by local police. I get a call from the intake officer who says the guy can't breath. I do my assessment, lungs clear, no wheezing or rales, spo2 - 96%. Sure, no problem we take him. Next I get called by the booking officer, same guy, same complaint, same assessment. I am like, sir, you are NOT going home. STOP CALLING ME AND WASTING MY TIME. Then I get a call from one of the pod officers, HE IS ON THE GROUND, MEDICAL GET BACK HERE NOW! I am thinking, OH MAN, what did I miss? I go flying down with o2 and my kit, I get off the elevator and the guy turns his head smiles and says, Oh, Hi nurse. OMG! I wanted to kick him in the head, lol. I just had to ask (you know, after awhile you just don't even want to know) "so, guys. What is he here for?" Are you ready for this? ARSON! I told him, sir, if you can't breath, maybe you should find a new hobby.

Another time I got called to intake for a man who could make bail, but needed the nurse. Yep, you guessed it, 875.00 in large bills stuffed in a sandwich bag up his rectum. I told him, you put it in, you take it out. Then I reminded all the deputys that their mamas always told them not to put money in there mouths, this is why, ewwwwwwww.:rolleyes:

Oh, then I had a 9 month pregnant girl in the medical pod. Went to do my assessment on her and her stomach was tight. I asked her, very calmly I think, Ummm, how long have you been in labor? She said, all day, but I am going home today and didn't tell anyone.:angryfire So I called the releasing officer, how many do you have in front of her? Oh about 5 or 6, he says. Can ya maybe push her to the top of the list? I don't remember much about delivering babies I say, lol. She was gone in 20 minutes.:rotfl:

Speaking of pregnant girls. Got a call from a mother saying her dd was pregnant, could we increase her calories and give her a snack. I go up to the girl and tell her what her mother said, she told me, Oh, she is crazy. I put on some weight and she is insisting I am pregnant. Fine, can you give me a urine sample so that I can test your urine? No, I am not pregnant, she said. THANK GOD I made her sign a refusal of treatment form. So I am off a couple of days, when I come back to work the other nurses tell me that my girl who wasn't pregnant delivered an 8 pound kidney stone. HUH? Apparently, when she went into labor she was STILL insisting that she wasn't pregnant and did so all the way to the hospital. Claimed she had a "kidney stone."" Where she delivered an 8 pound baby girl.:uhoh21:

I think if I had stayed there any longer I could have written a book, was only there about a year, ROFL. My dh would say to me the next day, okay, what is the story today. No lie, I had one EVERY DAY.

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Damn. I have a new respect for prison beatings and assessing the hell out of those prisoners who've received them--I have never worked corrections, but happened to be in ICU where there were 3 different prisoners who had developed rhabdomyolysis secondary to severe beatings. I didn't even know what it was--had to read up on it. Scary!!!

I worked in a county hospital and we used to get jail patients all the time. Only this particular patient had the holy you know what beat out of him by the cops. He was covered head to toe with bruises and he had cuts around his wrists from the handcuffs and he was in acute renal failure and rhabdomyolysis and he was only 22 years old! He was a white supremist that beat a to death a little old black lady for her money and her car. Got his )*( kicked!

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In answer to your question, no offense, YES you are naive. I have worked in corrections for three and ahalf years...and I say this all the time...the stories that we correctional nurses could tell would fill volumes, but no one would believe them...except other correctional nurses. It is not that we are calloused, we just have developed an affinity for sorting throught the crap to get to the real problems. We are compassionate and caring when the situation calls for it. The simple truth is that there are fewer situations in corrections that call for it. Corrections is a calling. You either sink or swim. Love it or hate it. For those of us who choose to make it our specialty...we love it. We probably could never work in another setting...or would not want to. It is a very stressful job at times. Ninety percent of the time you are on your own...you're making the decisions. But it is NEVER a dull, boring job! And it requires that a person be able to differentiate between a real medical need and a manipulative ploy by a dishonest inmate. I understand that people make mistakes, but you must keep in mind, these people are there because they broke the law...they are NOT honest, harmeless patients like the ones you see on a Med-Surg unit. It is that keen awareness to these facts that allows us to be good correctional nurses and to survive in such a setting. It is also the understanding of the lengths these inamtes will go to deceive you and being aware of those dangers that keeps us alert and safe and allows us to go home after our shift is over. So, like you, we take care of the unwanted souls, but most of them we do not feel sorry for. Most of them are there for a very good reason. However, we are still patient advocates. And it takes a very special nurse to be the advocate of a criminal. :coollook:

Very well said :}

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My hat goes off to you nurses, you all do a great job.....a nursing field I could never get into. Bless you all.:saint:

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Specializes in ER.

Why wasn't there a nurse in Oz? I would like to know!!

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Specializes in ER, ICU, Corrections.

Well the reason there wasn't a nurse in OZ was that they might have saved the life of the guy that got shot or killed by the gun that got in through the visiting room!!!!! Oz was a bit over the line I think LOLOL

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with us here the fake seizures are the ones that dont pee on them selves on the way to the ground. i have also been told that if i did not give an inmate and ibuprofen he would seize in 5 minitues. we occasinally get the real thing the fakes are just so much more entertaining

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it also takes resitstance to look up charges and the understading that the jail morality and real world morality are 2 completly different things. its hard to at first do sick call on a dorm full of pedophiles but at least the pedophiles that i am giving medicine to are off the streets and behind bars where they belong. most inmates love to play and manipulate you just have to look past the games and get them to be straight with you. then after the medical need (if there is one is taken care of) you earn respect of the inmates. i know where i work i get swamped with health requests because the guys there know that if they put in a silp i will address it one way or another and get back to them and i do tell them straight if they are pulling my leg or what not. but i am the type of person that does not want to beat around the bush. i do love my job. i have left the field and went to the hospital but i came back because no matter what thesse people are incarcerated for they still need a nurse.

Raggy

In answer to your question, no offense, YES you are naive. I have worked in corrections for three and ahalf years...and I say this all the time...the stories that we correctional nurses could tell would fill volumes, but no one would believe them...except other correctional nurses. It is not that we are calloused, we just have developed an affinity for sorting throught the crap to get to the real problems. We are compassionate and caring when the situation calls for it. The simple truth is that there are fewer situations in corrections that call for it. Corrections is a calling. You either sink or swim. Love it or hate it. For those of us who choose to make it our specialty...we love it. We probably could never work in another setting...or would not want to. It is a very stressful job at times. Ninety percent of the time you are on your own...you're making the decisions. But it is NEVER a dull, boring job! And it requires that a person be able to differentiate between a real medical need and a manipulative ploy by a dishonest inmate. I understand that people make mistakes, but you must keep in mind, these people are there because they broke the law...they are NOT honest, harmeless patients like the ones you see on a Med-Surg unit. It is that keen awareness to these facts that allows us to be good correctional nurses and to survive in such a setting. It is also the understanding of the lengths these inamtes will go to deceive you and being aware of those dangers that keeps us alert and safe and allows us to go home after our shift is over. So, like you, we take care of the unwanted souls, but most of them we do not feel sorry for. Most of them are there for a very good reason. However, we are still patient advocates. And it takes a very special nurse to be the advocate of a criminal. :coollook:
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I had one when I worked the florida correctional system. I was called out to an emergency in one of the units. I go running over there and this big big guy is just laying face down on the floor, spread out. I asked the CO what happened and he stated he just saw the guy go down on the floor. so I go over there, thinking maybe the worst. The guy is breathing and his guys are closed. I look at him and he opens his eyes, so I ask him what happened, did he faint, or what. He tells me he is hot and the floor is cold so he layed down on to cool off. I look at him, and ask if he needs medical help. He states no, I ask him if he needs help getting up, and he states no, and says he going to lay for awhile to cool off. This is summer in Florida at the time and no air conditioning in building. so I get get and tell the officer what is going on,and he wants me to make the inmate get off the floor. I tell him that this is not a medical emergency and if he wants the inmate off the floor he will have to do it himself. I leave with the CO sputtering but, but, but. What a waste of time. if the officer had bother to check first he would of found this out himself, but the guy was a small mountain and scared most people. :rolleyes:

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