Correctional nursing is not for the faint of heart. Walking inside the barbed and razor wire fences and locking the gates behind you can have some nurses call it quits on their first day.
Correctional nurses may work in prisons or jails. I work in the state of Florida’s prison system. I actually decided to try out correctional nursing because a nurse I worked with in the hospital said she really enjoyed her years working there. She worked at what we call the “prison hospital” so her experience was a little different than what I ended up doing.
I’ve worked in corrections for about six years, with a mix of full-time and PRN status during my time. I’ve put together my best tips for nurses interested in starting a career in corrections!
- Assessment Skills
The most important skill to have in corrections is assessment skills. Depending on what shift you’re working, it may just be you and one other nurse handling an emergency. You need to be able to identify an emergent situation and what to do about it quickly. Emergencies can range from hypoglycemia to stabbings to respiratory distress to overdoses. You never know what you’re going to get day to day in corrections. - Confidence
Working in a male-population correctional facility, if you have low self-esteem, they will prey on it. Not every inmate has poor intentions or is trying to see what they can get from you, but some of them will. It’s important to have the confidence in yourself to not fall for what they will try to tell you in order to get you to do something for them. This may also be true in a female institution, but I have never worked in one. - Get to Know Your Coworkers
Get to know your fellow medical staff as well as security staff. Of course, you can do your job without becoming friends with everyone but I do believe having friends in this line of work definitely helps. You’re all behind the gates for 8-12 hours cut off from the outside world, it’s nice to have someone to talk to. - Good Mindset
Don’t go in with a hateful attitude or negative mindset. Yes, these inmates are in prison because some of them have done horrible things, but some are in for mistakes they have made and they are doing their time. Most of them are respectful and thankful you are there to help them. - Stay on Alert
Bad things can happen anywhere but working in corrections, you already know you are around dangerous people in a high-stress environment. Stay aware of your surroundings, who and where your back is turned to, where security staff is positioned, and where the nearest exit is. Don’t break policy and procedure to make your job or security’s job “easier.” It’s not worth the risk. - Document
Inmates have a lot of time on their hands and unfortunately, some use that time to try and sue nurses. Sometimes there is neglect or improper medical care given but a lot of times they are grasping at straws. Make sure you document properly and effectively in case you are ever sued. Cases can take years and you don’t want to be stuck with little to no documentation on the incident. At a minimum, I would always document their mental status (alert and oriented, answers questions appropriately) and their respiratory status (respirations even and unlabored, no acute distress, skin color normal for ethnicity). With any “Use of Force” or altercations, I would also document if bleeding is controlled. If anything is abnormal, make sure you document what you do and who you notified as well.
If you’re curious about what a day is like, check out my Day in the Life of a Correctional Nurse post. If you want to know what I bring in to work with me, check out my post on what is Inside My Bag as a Correctional Nurse.
I hope these tips help. Let me know below if you have any tips for correctional nurses!
