What is the secret to getting along with custody?

[Findingmynitch]

Hi all,

I am relatively new to correctional nursing. I have been working in a county jail for about 4 months now. I like the challenges I have encountered with working with this population. However, I cannot seem to get along with the correctional officers.

I have ALWAYS been polite and courteous with them, but they do not like me. In fact, they have gone as far as to misrepresent facts in order to get me in to trouble. I was warned by several people in the medical department that we are judged by custody. My experience has proved this to be true. As a night nurse, I am supposed to attend to emergencies. However last night, they kept sending ME one nonemergent inmate after another. When they are not playing this game, they are holding me back by not opening the doors for me in anywhere near a timely fashion.

I don't mean to sound self-centered or paranoid, but I can get along with difficult nurses. And although I really like working in this area, I don't think I can continue to work where I have all of these people willing to lie and conspire against me for no good reason.

Several of the nurses who have been there for years buy the officers candy and treats. I have a little problem with having to bribe these guys to work with me. Any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

[gaylarn4]

that's disgusting! I am trying to get into correctional nursing and hope I don't have to deal with losers like that!! I think I have read other posts that said certain types of corrections nursing are better to work at than others, but I don't remember which. Good luck to you- it's a shame that idiots like this could potentially cause you harm, to your self or your job status

[merlee]

Bribe them. They are many who are corrupt. Sad to say this, but it is true.

[docteri]

Part of the problem is that the medical staff appears to be "inmate friendly" when the guards are trying to maintain order and not get hurt. The nurses are in a tough position because you must treat the inmate, while believing in the corrections system.

[Multicollinearity, BSN, RN]

Don't know what to tell you. I am almost always very polite to our officers, and I show respect for their badge and how they put their lives on the line in a difficult job. That said, I'm on the cusp of leaving correctional nursing, and it's 95% because of the officers. There is a security v. medical war at my place of employment, and I'm sick of it. It's a constant battle of avoiding responsibility towards medical and incident reports.

The stakes are high in corrections, and while mistakes will happen, you've got to evaluate your safety level and stress level and decide.

I believe a lot of this depends upon the officers' leadership and medical's leadership, and how well they communicate and collaborate. Or not.

[docteri]

Don't know what to tell you. I am almost always very polite to our officers, and I show respect for their badge and how they put their lives on the line in a difficult job. That said, I'm on the cusp of leaving correctional nursing, and it's 95% because of the officers. There is a security v. medical war at my place of employment, and I'm sick of it. It's a constant battle of avoiding responsibility towards medical and incident reports.

The stakes are high in corrections, and while mistakes will happen, you've got to evaluate your safety level and stress level and decide.

I believe a lot of this depends upon the officers' leadership and medical's leadership, and how well they communicate and collaborate. Or not.

I certainly understand the duplicity of your problem. One of my friends who is an Optomitrist saw a guard slip and fracture his leg infront of a nurse. The nurse did nothing. The optomitrist was disgusted that she did not help the guard other than call 911. The guard was not in eminent danger and was off the yard. I had to explain to her that the nurse was actually there for the inmates and his fall was a worker's compensation issue. There is nothing that a nurse can do anyways for a fracture. The guard was stable just had a broke leg.

My husband is a guard and we have many friends who are in medical staff, it is hard. The only thing that I can suggest is the problem is not how you treat the guards, but its how you treat the inmates.

Good luck