Need opinion from non-Corrections nurses

Just curious what your views are on corrections nursing and the nurses that do it.
Welcome aboard, just posting to point out that there is an entire section dedicated to "Correctional Nursing". Just follow the "nurses" tab in the yellow banner along the top of your page (on a computer, anyway) and select your section of interest.

Thank you. I have seen that section but I'm curious what people outside of the field think. It seems many nurses look down on corrections and I just want to hear their views.

I think you have to have a certain amount of bad-assery and be tough to do that job. I couldn't, and respect those who do.

I love the term "bad-assery"! I'll have to use that

I know you asked for non-corrections opinions but since I just started here about 4 months ago and have worked in ICU and psychiatic nursing the majority of my nursing career, I thought I would chime in. It wasn't that long ago that I used to think that corrections was where old nurses go to die. Of course, I also thought that about psych nursing until I ended up a psych nurse myself. I am now in corrections and have to say that I practice so many different types of nursing in the prison infirmary, it's definitely not for sub-standard nurses. That's not to say these nurses don't exist in corrections because they do and there are many at my facility. But I have gotten to practice emergency nursing, hospice nursing, renal nursing, psych, geriatric, wound and a myriad of other types of nursing. I love the autonomy provided to me by the standing protocols and the fact that I am getting to use my assessment skills as much as I do. I also love the challenge of working with such a manipulative group of "patients" but then again, my 5 years of psych nursing has prepared me well for that. And to be honest, I am paid VERY well for a job that is not overly stressful and that I really enjoy; I make $90k a year and to bring in that kind of money at the hospital would require a lot of overtime and dealing with PIA families, which was the LEAST favorite part of my job in the hospital. No family members in prison! I started out my nursing career in the ICU and thought that was where I belonged but I enjoy psych nursing more than I thought I ever would.

My perception of correction nurses is that they have to be as tough as nails, no bull**** kind of people. I certainly don't look down on them at all. I would love to know one and hear their stories.

Many folk in the community as well as many nurses consider corrections nsg in that catch-all basket of 'less than glamorous' nsg specialties. Like with LTC, school nsg, private duty, etc. Even some specialties in nsg (psych, dialysis, oncology, etc) are included in the snobbery.The Commuter wrote a terrific article about this topic some time ago that was really spot-on and informative about the differences within nsg. (I can't remember what she called it.)There are many, many of us who respect those in Corrections - you deal with 2 very different populations (inmates and COs/personnel. Sometimes that 'bad-assery' attitude is needed and I don't have it. Strong assessment skills, pt advocacy with a very problematic population, independent practice and a few other skills to name a few are neededOne time I saw an ad for Corrections - thought about it for one minute and knew NO WAY for me. But I do salute nurses who do it.IMHO, it is the only section where pt care has to come in third place. In that environment, your safety and that of your co-workers has to come first & second; pts are next. Just saying, IMHO.

I've been interested in it awhile but am actually intimidated by how much responsibility/autonomy it would entail.

Quote from amoLuciaMany folk in the community as well as many nurses consider corrections nsg in that catch-all basket of 'less than glamorous' nsg specialties. Like with LTC, school nsg, private duty, etc. Even some specialties in nsg (psych, dialysis, oncology, etc) are included in the snobbery..

some of colleagues think it's probably easy gig where you sit most of the time at infirmary and do minor things like shots, dressings, etc but due the hostile environment in which inmates would likely get some severe trauma, I am sure correctional nurses need some serious RAW nursing in a limited-resource environment. I mean ya you wouldn't have to care about pt satisfaction or charting as much, and you probably can treat inmates like crap if they act up, but with all the stuff that happens there, I see correctional nursing pretty hardcore. I haven't seen one but a nurse from there would fit pretty well in ER possibly.

I admire them greatly. They have a huge responsibility with little resources or back up. I interviewed for a job once and although I had worked in some of the toughest emergency departments it was NOT my cup of tea.My cousin is a corrections RN (male) the stories and responsibilities he has is huge!Kudos to the correctional nurses

I only seem to hear about corrections nursing in the news when things go wrong. I remember in nursing school about a case in my area where a prisoner died in the infirmary from dehydration. He was admitted with a psych diagnosis, and I guess the staff had not been tracking intake and output and some nurses lost their licenses for that.