Nursing in a correctional facility like a jail, prison, or detention center is one of the most misunderstood and stigmatized specialties in healthcare. For many, it conjures up images of danger, unstable environments, and caring for a population of hardened criminals. However, these stereotypes couldn’t be further from the realities of correctional nursing. It’s time to separate fact from fiction.
Fiction: Correctional facilities are unsafe, violent workplaces.
Fact: Modern correctional institutions have extremely stringent security protocols and safety measures in place to protect staff, including nurses. Incidents of violence are rare. Nurses work in the facility’s clinics and infirmaries – not on prison grounds with inmates.
Fiction: Nurses only deal with inmates faking illnesses.
Fact: While some manipulation may occur, correctional nurses provide comprehensive primary, emergency, and specialized care. Inmates have the same healthcare needs as the general population, along with higher rates of mental illness, substance abuse, and infectious diseases.
Fiction: It’s just about treating minor injuries and handing out medications.
Fact: Correctional nurses operate much like nurses in other settings – providing triage, checkups, diagnostic testing, treatment, patient education, and care coordination. The only major difference is the inmates’ limited freedom of movement.
Fiction: Correctional nursing skills and clinics are subpar.
Fact: Correctional facilities follow the same regulations, protocols, and standards of care as hospitals, clinics, and nursing homes in the community. Nurses maintain the same credentials and licenses. Equipment and services are comparable or transferred to other providers.
Fiction: Inmates make unruly, difficult patients.
Fact: While there may be occasional confrontational situations, correctional nurses receive comprehensive training on de-escalation, therapeutic communication, and working with incarcerated populations. Mutually respectful relationships are the norm.
Fiction: It’s a depressing, hopeless environment.
Fact: Providing crucial healthcare that improves wellbeing and changes lives can be incredibly rewarding. Correctional nurses have opportunities to make positive impacts, address social determinants of health, and be part of rehabilitation efforts.
The reality is correctional nursing is a unique but valid nursing specialty – one that offers a challenging yet fulfilling career path for those looking to serve this vulnerable population’s healthcare needs. By understanding the facts, nurses can make informed decisions about whether this growing field aligns with their interests and capabilities. The stigmas of correctional nursing simply don’t hold up under scrutiny.
Are you interested in a rewarding career in correctional nursing? Contact a member of the Hire Energy team today.
