What's it like being a Psychiatric RN or NP in prison?

TruvyNurse · Dec 28, 2016

Hi There!

1) My duties vary day to day depending what cell house I am in. I generally do sick call, pass pills, do dressing changes, etc.

2.) I have loved my job.

3.) I work 2nd shift. 8 hour shifts

4.) Pay is better than area hospitals pay

5.) I feel safe 90 percent of the time lol

Feel free to PM anytime about being a prison nurse

Sara_lee · Dec 29, 2016

Can't PM you right now. Haven't unlocked it. So why'd you choose to become a prison nurse? what parts of your job do you love? What would you say is the most difficult part about your job?

linoleum · Jan 6, 2017

I do not currently work in corrections, though I have in the past. I worked as an RN for 5 years.

What are your duties?

Passing pills (which can be more complicated with controlled meds than you are used to in other facilities). Sick call clinics (either RN sick call or with the MD). Assessing and caring for inmates in the medical unit (this is similar to a med-surg unit, but with differences for security reasons). Intake assessments (full history, vitals, skin assessment, ppd on all inmates coming in to the facility). Assessments of any illness/injury/fight that occurs on a day to day basis.

How long are your shifts?

When I started working there, I worked 8 hour evening shifts. Other nurses worked 10's and 12's. It depends on your crew and what your leadership has agreed to.

For NP / MD role the hours would depend on the size of the facility and the staffing.

Do you enjoy your job?

Yes, I really loved it. I will probably be back with corrections at least part time after I obtain my NP

How's the pay?

Usually the starting pay is slightly more than the local hospitals. This depends a little bit on for whom you work. Some correctional nurse jobs will be either "County" or "State" and will therefore be dictated by the union agreement or whatever, though many are contracted out through other companies. This means (probably) that the retirement and benefits will not be as good - but generally the starting pay is better. So if it isn't going to be long term or full time then that doesn't make such a big difference.

Do you generally feel safe at work?

Very much. Not only was it the safest I "felt" working as a nurse, it was actually the safest (for my personal experience). I have worked at hospitals and nursing homes, and assault is just a hazard of the job (regardless of the lip service management will pay to the contrary). In five years I was never harmed as a correctional nurse.

The environment helped me to feel even more safe but it is one that many people can not tolerate. Many nurses quit on their first day due to the claustrophobic feeling of being locked in, and you do not have the key. You rely on the Corrections Officers to watch out for you and to securely let you in and out of areas. For example, if I were on a med pass I had to have somebody else open seven doors for me before I could get to a bathroom. Just to get from my locker to the med room (where we gave report) required walking through a metal detector (sometimes being searched), and having somebody else let me through nine doors (this process was repeated in reverse to go home each night). It was never a bother because I had a great relationship with the CO's and if everything was fine the doors would unlock as I approached - if not then I trusted that there was a very good reason not.