Nursevillage.com - Career Resources : Nurses Behind Bars: Correctional Nursing

Many of you may start reading this article by rolling your eyes, raising your eyebrows and casting doubting stares. But believe it or not, this is a field of nursing that's growing ever more popular. It's true in the past this was a job that was viewed as dangerous and only for those who couldn't find work anywhere else... that was the past.

Modern day correctional nursing has seen an image makeover. The transformation actually started awhile back, after a landmark U.S. Supreme Court Case ruling led to the American Medical Association creating standards for healthcare administered in jails and prisons. The standards set have only improved over the years and suddenly the ugly stepchild of nursing is becoming it's own version of loveliness.

Finding Independence in a Locked Up World

If seeking constant permission from physicians is growing old and tiresome, you may want to seek out a position behind bars. Autonomy is a strong highlight in the field of correctional nursing. RNs working in the penal system often have the chance to treat diseases they wouldn't see in the outside world. This is mainly due to the fact that the majority of patients have not led clean, modest lifestyles. Drugs, alcohol, poor-living conditions and lack of medical care help present a wide-range of healthcare issues.

On any given day you can handle anything from a case of athlete's foot to HIV to a run of STDs, including chlamydia, syphilis and gonorrhea, to mental illness, substance abuse, respiratory disease and cancer. Nurses are often allowed to administer medication when the inmate meets symptom criteria pre-approved by a doctor. There are many aspects of correctional nursing that make it a truly unique field. To begin with, the prison setting gives correctional nurses the opportunity to make a significant impact on the inmates they care for because you are treating them every day, unlike a hospital setting where you may see a patient for just a few hours. RNs in this setting must also administer a different brand of patient education since the patient's family is not present during diagnosis and most patients have had little to no medical care prior to life in prison. Because these nurses work so independently - assessing new inmates, helping manage the chronic diseases and responding to acute illnesses and injuries - they must be confident, experienced and well-rounded.

Safety First

The career benefits of correctional nursing are now obvious, but probably still floating in the back of your head is the question, "how safe is it really?" For most of us the only way we've seen the inside of a prison is by watching TV and movies. So criminals are all psychopaths and monsters like Hannibal Lecter and Buffalo Bill, right? And who would want to mess with that kind of crazy, no matter how finely tuned your nursing skills will become?

Reality check: We all know that things are not really the way they appear on TV or in the movies and the prison environment is no different. The first thing you realize working in the correctional environment is these individuals are patients first and criminals second. That's not to say there aren't certain things you have to get used to... such as the clanging of the jail cell doors. This echoing sound is real and, according to most correctional nurses, is one thing that takes some adjusting to. In fact, most of the nurses state "that's when fear sets in, when you realize you are locked inside." But what you also quickly come to realize is that security is the main job of the prison - officers are always present. The occupation is safe, probably safer than most ERs and in some cases safer than some home healthcare situations.

One of the most important things to keep in mind is that all inmates must be treated with respect. You have to learn that inmates are just like any other patients - they suffer the same maladies, react the same way to stress and are in need of the same type of care. There are simple, basic principles to follow: give your patients respect, set limits with them and provide good, quality care.

Are You Prison Worthy?

Correctional nursing is definitely coming into its own but not every nurse is cut out for the job. Careful consideration has to be taken when thinking about filling this role. Those who do well in this field have excellent critical thinking and assessment skills, are able to make decisions independently and have solid interpersonal skills. They also have to be assertive, empathetic and able to provide care objectively when serving this special population.

Correctional nurses may complete a two or four year nursing degree program and become a licensed RN. Once in the field for a certain amount of time, correctional nurses may also seek to attain a Certified Correctional Health Professional designation. The National Commission on Correctional Health Care administers this exam. To learn more about this unique specialty in nursing, visit www.ncchc.org.