will i lose my licenses in corrections, jail, prison nursing?

smllattnspn21, MSN, RN · Sep 19, 2017

That does not sound like a good place to work. In corrections you have to work as a team. Inmates have nothing better to do than to study us. They have all day to do this. If they sense a breakdown in the team they will use that to their advantage and Manipulate, riot, etc.

Orca, ADN, ASN, RN · Sep 20, 2017

I am a DON in a western state, and this sounds nothing like my workplace. Assignments are carried out, and our officers are a great asset to our mission. The place that you describe sounds like a good place to get out of. Perhaps because of the work environment, they need registry nurses to fill in. My agency doesn't use them.

wtpsych · Oct 5, 2017

just the other day, my RN coworker was terminated because of her "differences" with one of the psychiatric techs there. this girl put in lots of effort in our unit and was always doing extra shifts to help it. we were all surprised when she was walked out. everybody seemed to have issues with this psych tech, but she was the only person who voiced her concerns. RN was registry and psych tech was state employed.

i also have a friend in the lab and she told me her coworker was walked out for this reason.

i'm looking for a new position. registry at a CDCR sucks.

Medic/Nurse, BSN, RN · Oct 9, 2017

Run.

I'd be out of there so fast folks seeing me leave might think there was a bomb in the building or it was on fire.

Just kidding, nah I'm not.

I like living in my house.

Just not a good place to be, you are being given all the signs of impending badness.

K9lover, ASN, RN · Oct 21, 2017

so a relative of mine had this to say about working in a jail, prison, corrections:
do not work in a unit where you do not have access to the patient. meaning, if you cannot open their cell when a "man down" is called, good luck. the correctional officers are lazy as ****. they pull all sorts of "safety" associated reason(s) from their ***** to let people die. last week, there was a registry RN who was "walked off" because of this.
speaking of registry; AND it's even easier, if you're a registry employee. these "state" RN workers have little regard for your licenses. registry RNs are scapegoats in this environment. let me discuss my daily duties.
i am a registry RN that works psych in correctional facility. i have to chart q15 minute rounds for 30 patients. every time a prisoner commits suicide, an RN (registry) is "walked off". coincidentally, no state employed RN EVER rounds because litigation always seems to follow. i also have to assess every patient with a complaint. this ranges from "i have chest pain" to "i have a rash on my arm." all your state employed RNs are "too busy" consistently creating reports. throw in you having to therapeutically deescalate a suicide attempt daily (manipulation or genuine). you are ALWAYS short staffed fridays, saturdays, sundays, and mondays because state RNs are always calling off. when you voice your concerns, you WILL BE WALKED OFF. this happened to a coworker of mine.
should i quit? i am registry. because i'm starting to see some of these situations play out.

I worked for a year as temp until I hired on as permanent and this does not reflect my experience but it is county, not state. I've heard nothing good about working registry for the state (California)

donotenter · Sep 23, 2018

This is my experience working at the California Medical Facility in Vacaville. I am in the process of looking for a new job. **** this place.

Neats, BSN · Oct 5, 2018

My history of prison employment include being a State Healthcare Manager, state nursing employee and Contract Healthcare Administrator- in different states.

I enjoyed my state employment in the prison system never had any issues and we worked all together as a team. We did have Per Diem Nursing staff occasionally.

When I became a state contractor it all changed. I deliver good nursing care and good Administration oversight. I try on a daily basis to do what is right. I try to protect my license and those who work under me.

This last contract job I had in the beginning went well. I save millions of dollars from the get go with just getting rid of those old Oxygen concentrators (all 100 of them) and the state was still making monthly rental payments even after 6 years-yes) Fraud I feel, but just an oversight and those monies were reimbursed) This is when things started to head south. It culminated with me almost attacked in the infirmary with no one... only me with 25 offenders. The correctional officer was upstairs on break. I slowly backed my way to the elevator and waited for a long time before the door opened. I was set up (by state employees I believe/my impression) but got away.

I was scared and since have not worked in the prison system where I would be a contractor.

There is a division between healthcare contractors and state employees I believe. When the chips are down the state employees will always come on top no matter what their position or what they did. I would not recommend working as a contractor in a state prison ...be a state worker. This is just my opinion and my experiences between the two, some states maybe great.

Oldmahubbard · Oct 8, 2018

My experience is as an NP in a forensic facility. There was a ton of petty nonsense with the nurses and the nurse administrators. Some people were friends, some were not. If you were a friend, you could keep your lunch in the office refrigerator. If not a friend, you would be written up for it.

Several people would be walked out over the years, and most ended up coming back. It was hard to actually lose your job, but they could harass the crap out of you.

Someone did lose their job after documenting she had checked on a inmate 10 minutes before he was found dead. Everything is on camera, and she had not checked him.

The worst part of that job is not the inmates, it is the back stabbing.

Kooky Korky, BSN, RN · Nov 6, 2018

My history of prison employment include being a State Healthcare Manager, state nursing employee and Contract Healthcare Administrator- in different states.
I enjoyed my state employment in the prison system never had any issues and we worked all together as a team. We did have Per Diem Nursing staff occasionally.
When I became a state contractor it all changed. I deliver good nursing care and good Administration oversight. I try on a daily basis to do what is right. I try to protect my license and those who work under me.
This last contract job I had in the beginning went well. I save millions of dollars from the get go with just getting rid of those old Oxygen concentrators (all 100 of them) and the state was still making monthly rental payments even after 6 years-yes) Fraud I feel, but just an oversight and those monies were reimbursed) This is when things started to head south. It culminated with me almost attacked in the infirmary with no one... only me with 25 offenders. The correctional officer was upstairs on break. I slowly backed my way to the elevator and waited for a long time before the door opened. I was set up (by state employees I believe/my impression) but got away.
I was scared and since have not worked in the prison system where I would be a contractor.
There is a division between healthcare contractors and state employees I believe. When the chips are down the state employees will always come on top no matter what their position or what they did. I would not recommend working as a contractor in a state prison ...be a state worker. This is just my opinion and my experiences between the two, some states maybe great.

I'm sorry you were nearly attacked, but why did you continue to be present with inmates when Custody was not there? There must ALWAYS be a CO, Dcputy, Cop, whatever title present. ALWAYS. No exceptions, even life-threatened inmates.

For OP - easy solution; get hired there.

riverlands · Nov 9, 2018

I think all jails, prisons and facilities are different. Im in County Jail and its not perfect. But it is safe. Man down, all the deputies are running for that cell. Backup called (fight) they are on it. Blatant disrespect to Medical staff, inmate often receives discipline (seg). I trust my deputies and I have their back any time they want Medical for their inmate. Its the other Medical staff interpersonaly that can be challending. Im in a progressive Western state in a very, very progressive city, the county well funded and Medical are all county employees with a sprinkle of Agency. I find it safer than the hospital I worked at before, where we were expected to act like security to deal with behaviors in mentally competent patients ourselves.

ocean.baby · Mar 18, 2019

Officers should not let you in a man down situation until they know that the situation is safe for you.

In 25 years I have not found that officers are lazy or disrespectful, in fact, they have always treated me like I treat them. I have always had a good rapport with officers.

If an inmate wants to see you to c/o a rash, or something non-emergent, you tell them to submit a sick call request. You may have to do some assessment before being able to declare their complaint is not an emergency, but at that point they can submit a sick call request. On your assessment form you write 'non-emergent, inmate instructed to submit a sick call form to be seen at nurse sick call'. You do not have to take care of every minor complaint in the moment.

I have worked corrections for 25 years and have never had a lawsuit.