Where do you look for correctional nursing openings?

Specialties Correctional

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I am kind of interested in correctional nursing, but I haven't been able to find any openings to apply for in Georgia. Where do you look for those openings? I am currently working in L&D and I need a part time job. I love L&D but I don't want to get burned out on it. I always said I would be a police officer if I wasn't a nurse. I think it would be a great change of pace for me. I also want to keep my Med-Surg, Assessment, and Psych skills up to date. It is real easy to forget all that stuff when you work with pregnant ladies all the time. If anyone has any ideas, I would be grateful. Thanks

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Specializes in ER,OR, Home Health, Occ. Health, Correct.

Not sure what part of Georgia you are in, but I see ads a lot in the Atlanta paper for nurses in correctional facilities. I work in a prison just south of Atlanta. I actually work for the county, but I see ads for the ATL area a lot, especially for DeKalb County. Good Luck!!

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Sometimes correctional facilities contract out for nurses. I know they started doing that in Florida. Try calling the facility and asking them if they do this and if they do ask for the company's info.

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Your state government website usually post all state agency jobs available. I know GA does...they break it down into agencies so you don't have to peruse the whole entire system. You should see "Department of Corrections" job openings. :)

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I found my job on Career builders on the net

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Specializes in ER, PACU, CORRECTIONAL HEALTH, FLIGHT.

what part of GA are ya in?

MCG handles the healthcare for most facilities.

PHS contracts some.

p.s. DONT GO INTO CORRECTIONAL HEALTH thinking that it will keep your skills up to date...NO MA'AM. I have worked prisons in TX and GA for years and always do some prn at an ER to do that!!!!! You will find some of the most incompetent lazy nurses in prisons.......most couldnt hang in a hospital environment with high acuities, thats why they work prisons

edited to say that this is NOT always the case, so dont be offended please..but from what i have found, overall, the competency levels are poor especially in the state i am in

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Specializes in Geriatrics/Oncology/Psych/College Health.

That's rather a harsh assessment of corrections nurses. Let's try and respect each others' skills and abilities and not paint whole specialties with such a broad brush :).

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Specializes in ER, PACU, CORRECTIONAL HEALTH, FLIGHT.
That's rather a harsh assessment of corrections nurses. Let's try and respect each others' skills and abilities and not paint whole specialties with such a broad brush :).

sorry, didnt mean to offend, its just the truth in the state i practice in...but was not near as bad in Texas

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Specializes in Psych, Correctional, LTC and Rehab.

I can not agree with most of your statements.

I will have to say that in my facility our RN infirmary nurses are good and have alot of hospital experience....not to say that there aren't a few lemons but you get that anywhere.

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Well I disagree totally.I have met some of the best nurses where I work.

We have codes all day long and they can hang with the best.

Corrections is where your BCLS will come in handy.

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Lazy incompetent can be anywhere. What I LOVED about prison nurses? Generally, we are so busy combating the worst of the inmates and staff that we don't have as much time for the petty competition that happens between nurses in other facilities. There's a little meow, meow, but most of the time a crew builds that has each other's BACK.

I've been out 4 years and missing it every single day. Just started the application process to go back!!!! I'm so excited. No more wives hovering with questions from reader's digest torn out, no big assortment of doctors and thier egos to deal with, no more taking BIG CRAP from patients just because they are a patient. Give them great healthcare, but ya don't have to be nice just because!!!!!!!!

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Specializes in Rehab, skilled, long term acute,.

From what I've seen, private correctional facilites are nice, cleaner, safer, and over all better. But, that's just what I've seen. I work for a large private correctional company, but 3 days into the job I'm not sure how biased I'm in. I'm comparing what I see to what I've heard from my friends working in state facilities. As far as that goes, google private corrections and see what comes up. I'd tell you the website to my company if I wouldn't get in trouble.

As far as skills, remember this, you are going to be a first responder to a lot of things. Fights, stabbings, riots, etc. There will also be a lot of "boring" pill passes and sprained ankles. And lots of intake assessments. As medical in a prison, you will see these people before they can get sent out to ERs for major injuries. Remember that. Cause it can get pretty ugly when the patients aren't cleaned up before you get them. But, I don't think this will be a boring job.

Also, if you are easily manipulated, might want to work on that before you work corrections. These people have 24 hours a day to work on new scams. You will get nice ones, but you have to remember where you are.

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