What skills are needed?

[Msmedic68w, MSN, RN]

I currently work in psych and have done so since I graduated. I love psych, but I'd like to do corrections. With just a psych background could I do corrections since so many of the inmates have mental health issues? Or do they need other experience?

I was a combat medic in the Army, so if someone is bleeding out all over the place, stand back.....I got this. But I don't know if that will count towards being hired. Do they want med surg or what?

[aprilrazz]

Push both experiences. Former mil seems to do well in this specialty.

[beachmedic]

Some prisons actually have a Psych unit. Other than that, EMT level knowledge of the occasional traumatic injury to inmate or staff and experience with chest pain, shortness of breath, etc. We get wound vacs, ports, central lines, PICC lines, as well. Armor and Corizon are two of the big agencies in the field, or you can become a state employee.

[angeloublue22, BSN, RN]

It's definitely a learning curve but you do have a one up with your experience with manipulative clients (there will be many), de-escalation, and setting boundaries. I came from acute psych/addictions for 3 years to work at a prison then a jail. It was doable but I would brush up on some skills like IVs, blood draws, wound care, and some emergency care. Security and staff safety trumps patient safety and that was a hard thing to me to grasp at first, as one of my co-workers tried to give a patient with a 40 BG a piece of candy because we ran out of glucose gel but was told that she would be charged with providing contraband to an inmate. Your medic training will be very helpful. Blood everywhere is very likely to happen.