Nurses who work within the confines of correctional facilities are there to provide healthcare to incarcerated individuals. Those nurses must possess a unique set of skills as they manage the sometimes complex medical needs of individuals who are in the prison system. That means balancing care while maintaining professionalism and observing the stringent security protocols of those facilities.
In addition to the rules that govern the corrections facilities, nurses who pursue this career path need to expect a vast array of medical needs. From traumas to diseases to chronic conditions, you’ll find many different forms of healthcare for the individuals you see. If you feel called to pursue a nursing career in corrections facilities, there are some things you need to know. Here, we cover those aspects of correctional institution nursing along with addressing the most common FAQs.
1. What is A Corrections Facility Nurse?
Pursuing a nursing career in a corrections facility is a very demanding yet highly rewarding job. As a healthcare professional, you expect to work with many different patients in many different settings throughout your career. After all, those are the scenarios that make you the best nurse you can be.
Choosing a nursing career in a correctional facility prepares you for all kinds of medical scenarios, as mentioned above. You’ll be called upon to provide regular care for chronic conditions, trauma cases, emergent medicine, and critical care. You’ll assess your patients and make recommendations based on your findings. You’ll answer their questions and concerns and find yourself with many opportunities to educate the population on community health.
2. How Safe Am I?
Those who don’t have much experience with correctional facilities may have a certain degree of anxiety regarding the unknowns. After all, a correctional facilities nurse works with incarcerated people in jails, prisons, and other types of facilities. You may wonder about your safety. While it is true that many of those in the correctional facilities’ population have a history of violence, issues with their mental health, substance abuse, and more that may threaten your safety, there are very strict protocols in place to protect you.
Through constant surveillance, thorough security screenings, and the presence of armed personnel, your safety is a top concern during medical interactions. In addition to these security protocols, every correctional facility nurse takes courses in emergency response, self-defense, and de-escalation techniques that help ensure the safety of all present.
Of course, the environment in any correctional facility of any degree can become rather volatile, especially when compared to doctor’s offices and clinics. However, a nursing career in corrections facilities provides a sense of purpose and a fulfillment you won’t find in other healthcare organizations.
3. What Skills Are Necessary for A Nursing Career in Corrections Facilities?
As most people understand, the need for nurses is dire. That includes nurses in correctional facilities. A recent study published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that the demand for nurses, including those in correctional environments, is expected to grow by 6% or more between now and 2033.
Correctional nursing requires the caregiver to look beyond the patient’s criminal record and provide compassionate care, even in such a unique setting. The skills required of a correctional nurse are similar to those for anyone in a nursing career but with a few additional interpersonal skills included. A quality corrections facilities nurse should possess the following skills:
- A high degree of attention to detail is a necessary skill for a corrections facility nurse. You must be able to identify a patient’s health status and assess even the most subtle changes. A corrections facility is a high-stress environment, and often, the safety concern overshadows even the most emergent medical needs. But timely intervention as a result of your attention to detail helps prevent serious complications, which could have a devastating and long-lasting impact on your patient’s health.
- Critical thinking skills allow you to assess the situation and make sound decisions on your patient’s behalf. In the high-pressure environment of a corrections facility, you’ll be called upon to navigate challenging scenarios, including the potential for security risks, your safety and the safety of those with you, and dealing with some very difficult patients. Critical thinking skills are extremely necessary to the job.
- Problem-solving skills, much like critical thinking skills, are instrumental in de-escalating difficult scenarios, along with determining the best course for your patients’ needs. The corrections environment may require you to find some creative solutions with your limited resources. You’ll also deal with patients who have substance abuse issues, mental health issues, and other challenging behaviors that make thinking on your feet essential to your safety.
- Communication skills must be well-honed as you will need to communicate with your patients as well as the staff at the corrections facility. Excellent communication skills are necessary for building a sense of trust with inmates who may be wary of you. You will likely deal with some sensitive topics. You must also communicate effectively with other healthcare professionals and collaborate with security personnel.
- Interpersonal skills go a long way toward building trust with your patients. You’ll encounter a diverse population inside corrections facilities. These individuals are often dealing with highly charged emotions. You’ll be handling patient care as well as the safety of yourself, your patient, and those around you. Through empathy and active listening, you can prevent problems from becoming an issue, and you’ll gain the trust of your patient, earning their cooperation and appropriate behaviors. But remember to always maintain professional boundaries.
- Organizational skills are necessary for all nurses, but corrections nurses must have well-honed organizational skills. Nurses in this environment manage large patient loads and, often, these patients have complex medical needs. Scheduling, records-keeping, the ability to prioritize the medical needs of critical patients, coordinating with necessary staff, and following the facility’s protocols and procedures ensure things run smoothly.
- Emergency response skills in the correctional setting must be second nature to the corrections facility nurse. These nurses are often the first point of contact in a medical emergency and, as such, must be able to assess the situation rapidly and initiate the proper care intervention, all while navigating the potential for threatening conditions that may escalate.
- The ability to interact with the corrections facility population is another essential skill and one that’s particular to this unique nursing career. You’ll be faced with challenges that may pose a threat to your safety or the safety of others, so positive interactions and recognizing when de-escalation is necessary could essentially save a life. Building trust involves strategies you’ve likely never called on before in your nursing career. Fortunately, corrections facilities train their nurses in the ways you must interact with your patients.
4. What Are the Responsibilities, and How Do They Differ From Other Healthcare Facilities?
Pursuing a nursing career in corrections facilities isn’t all that different from working with the general public. Your job isn’t like that of law enforcement, and you won’t be asked to restrain or otherwise discipline those incarcerated in the facility. For that reason, you will always have an officer to accompany you as you see your patients.
Your responsibilities are the same as in the “outside” world. You will see patients with varying degrees of illness and injury, you’ll assess them and treat them to the best of your ability. Should they need more care than you can provide, they will be transported to a hospital or clinic that works with the facility.
Of course, your skills may be challenged given the conditions under which you’ll be working. For example, treating a pregnant inmate poses a significant set of challenges that you wouldn’t face with a non-incarcerated individual. Likewise, dealing with end-of-life patients inside a correctional facility requires you to call upon different skills; treating chronic conditions also requires some creative thinking as resources are often limited.
5. What Are Some of The Specific Medical Conditions in Corrections Facilities?
Infections are more prevalent in corrections facilities, as are inmates with chronic conditions. Because of the lack of consistent resources, many diseases and chronic conditions go unchecked until they’ve reached a critical stage. That’s why these patients rely on a combination of highly developed skills and a large degree of compassion.
Generally, the socio-economic background and history of incarcerated individuals means they’ve likely not had consistent medical care for most of their lives. They may not understand some basic hygiene, disease prevention, health and wellness, and many other aspects of maintaining good health. It is left to you, the corrections facility nurse, to educate your patients as best you can. This helps in mitigating the spread of certain viruses, STDs, and chronic maladies, for instance.
6. Am I Up for The Challenge of a Nursing Career in Corrections Facilities?
Every healthcare organization comes with specific sets of challenges. Working with the aging population may require you to assist those with dementia. Oncology also challenges those in nursing careers. Pediatrics, L&D, Obstetrics, and so forth each carry unique and demanding aspects of healthcare. In any healthcare environment, nurses must be flexible, be able to adapt to difficult situations, cope with stress, and multitask like champs.
A nursing career in corrections is challenging, to be sure. You’ll call on your soft skills as much as your nursing know-how, along with many other talents and abilities. However, if this is the path for you, a nursing career in corrections facilities may prove to be the most rewarding and satisfying of all. You’ll be making a difference in the life of someone who is suffering, and through your compassion and care, you’ll offer these people a glimpse of something more.
You will benefit from a nursing career in corrections as well. You’ll gain a new, more accepting perspective as you get to know your patients and gain their trust. You’ll grow professionally and personally, and should you decide to one day move on from working in the corrections environment, you’ll bring a unique array of experiences with you. While not everyone is suited to a nursing career in corrections facilities, those who feel called will certainly benefit as much as their patients.
7. How Do I Get Started?
Are you interested in pursuing a nursing career in corrections facilities? If so, begin your path to this rewarding job today by reaching out to BOS Medical Staffing.
For more information on how you can make a difference by pursuing a nursing career in corrections facilities, please get in touch with BOS Medical Staffing. We work with all healthcare organizations that trust us to provide the best candidates for the job. Contact BOS Medical Staffing today and advance your nursing career.
