Correctional nursing is the provision of nursing care to patients in institutions such as jails, prisons, juvenile detention centers, and drug rehabilitation programs. The duties of a correctional nurse differ from those of regular nurses since the institutions are not established with health care as the primary purpose. The population in correctional facilities is huge and diverse, requiring these nurses to perform a wide range of tasks (Schoenly & Knox, 2012). Furthermore, the roles of correctional nurses are influenced by the culture and demographics of the prison.
A correctional nurse's primary responsibility is to provide treatment and medication to sick people in the facility. As such, they are fully involved in the assistance of doctors working in the facility. Apart from that, the nurse is also responsible for record keeping as well as obtaining specimens from patients who may require specific diagnostic procedures. Thus, they are also involved in other general nursing procedures such as dressing of wounds and bandaging, monitoring patients reaction to medication and attending to emergency procedures of the inmates (Schoenly & Knox, 2012).
In addition to the general roles of a nurse, correctional nursing also involves other duties depending on the nature of the correctional facility. Most correctional facilities include patient education where patients are educated on safety measures such as maintaining a high level of hygiene as well as healthy practices such as exercise. For instance, correctional nurses in drug rehabilitation centers are involved in educating patients on the effects of drug abuse as well as how to utilize available alternatives to avoid the harmful effects. In juvenile detention, patients are educated on how to practice safe sex and the incidence of sexually transmitted diseases. As well, it is the duty of the correctional nurse to educate the teenagers on how to protect themselves to avoid rape and unwanted pregnancies (Almost et al., 2013).
Apart from patient education, the correctional nurse is also responsible for staff education to ensure the staff in the facility can handle the sick individuals without affecting their health. It is also the role of the nurse to advise the members of staff on the kind of diet required for individuals with chronic diseases such as diabetes. As well, the nurses ensure that persons with contagious conditions such as TB and cholera are properly quarantined to reduce the risk of an epidemic. Additionally, correctional nurses perform physical examinations to help the members of staff identify individuals who fake illness to gain special treatment (Schoenly & Knox, 2012).
The pay scale for correction nurses is determined by different factors including the level of education and geography. As well, the nature of the correctional facility also determines the pay scale with maximum-security facilities attracting high salaries than minimum-security systems. Despite the variations, correctional facility nurses earn high salaries than other kinds of nurses due to the challenges they have to endure. As such, the correctional nurse earns an average annual salary of $77,000, which is 17% higher than that of other nurses. The United States offer the highest salaries to correctional nurses as compared to other nations. However, the salaries are not fixed across the different states hence differ from one state to another (Díaz, Panosky & Shelton, 2014).
According to the most recent research, the job outlook for correctional nursing in the U.S is expected to gain a 26% increase by 2020. This increase can be attributed to the fact that the United States inhabits some of the largest correctional facilities around the globe thus incorporating large numbers of prisoners and detainees. As such, there are numerous opportunities for nurses who specialize in correctional nursing. Consequently, correctional nursing jobs are readily available in the United States. Apart from the numerous prisons and jails, the United States of America also houses juvenile and substance abuse rehabilitation centers thus requiring correctional nursing services. As such, correctional nurses have better chances of getting jobs in the United States than anywhere else in the world. Mississippi is also another region, which offers job opportunities to correctional nurses (Díaz, Panosky & Shelton, 2014). The high crime rate in the region has resulted in increased population in correction facilities thus creating the need for correctional nurses. Therefore, Mississippi is suitable for an individual looking to be employed under correctional nursing. Unlike other states around the globe where prisoners are denied health services, the United States and Mississippi correctional facilities are keen to delivering these services thus creating a demand for correctional nurses. Consequently, both states offer suitable opportunities for correctional nursing.
The education requirements for correctional nursing are similar to other forms of nursing with minor additions. As such, any individual interested in the career must first attain a minimum of a diploma in nursing education (Díaz, Panosky & Shelton, 2014). However, a bachelor or doctoral degree in nursing gives one better chances of employment. The bachelor's degree can be an associate or the common four-year degree of nursing studies. Apart from the degree or diploma, the nurse must be registered to become a licensed practical nurse (LPN) or a registered nurse (RN). In addition to these requirements, a correctional nurse must undergo special training that makes them fit for correctional facilities. The special training involves correctional facility requirements to increase their understanding of how to handle these patients. As such, the special training is inclusive of formal education which may last between three and five years depending on the nursing level desired (Díaz, Panosky & Shelton, 2014).
The certification process for correctional nursing involves a licensing exam that is offered by the National Council of Licensure to ensure they become registered nurses. In addition to these, correctional nurses are required to attain a certificate from the National Commission of Correctional Health Care. This certificate is attained after the completion of special correctional training that distinguishes correctional nurses from other nurses. Consequently, the certificate is renewed every year due to the constant education offered to correctional nurses during their career in different facilities (Almost et al., 2013).
The role of correctional nursing is faced with many ethical dilemmas due to the environment in which it is practiced. Correctional nurses are faced with ethical issues in their line of work when they try to harmonize health care requirements with the justice system which is aimed at punishing and rehabilitating individuals. One of the major ethical dilemma faced by correctional nursing is the issue of patient confidentiality. In normal settings, the information about the patient illnesses and diagnosis is strictly made known to the patient only. However, in the correctional facility, it becomes impossible for the health caregiver to maintain confidentiality since the members of staff may require knowing of an individual's health for the determination of assignments. As such the nurse will be required to disclose the health conditions of the individual. Apart from that, the nurse may be required to disclose crucial information to ensure the affected individual does not transmit certain diseases to other inmates. Therefore, some inmates may become subjects of ridicule and gossip due to disclosure of their health conditions to the public (Restellini & Restellini, 2014).
Another ethical dilemma faced by the role of the correctional nurse is the lack of enough supplies thus comprising the health of their patients. This leads to emotional distress for the practitioner thus affecting the quality of their work. Nurses are required to provide the best care for their patients to ensure comfort and best health. In a correctional setting, it becomes impossible to care for patients especially due to the incidence of few medical supplies (Restellini & Restellini, 2014). In some cases, the nurse is forced to treat some patients while others are left to suffer due to lack of medical supplies thus posing an ethical dilemma for their work.
Finally, correctional nursing does not give patients the right to informed consent to their patients. In normal healthcare settings, patients are given the opportunity to choose the kind of treatment that suits them. However, in correctional facilities, the patients are not given the opportunity to choose or decline medication. As such, the correctional nurse prescribes the available treatment as opposed to letting inmates choose what they prefer (Restellini & Restellini, 2014). Thus, this situation puts the caregiver in an ethical situation.
References
Almost, J., Gifford, W. A., Doran, D., Ogilvie, L., Miller, C., Rose, D. N., & Squires, M. (2013). Correctional nursing: a study protocol to develop an educational intervention to optimize nursing practice in a unique context. Implementation Science, 8(1), 71.
Corrections Nurse: Typical Job Duties and Salary Requirements http://educationcareerarticles.com/career-information/career-news/corrections-nurse-typical-job-duties-and-salary-requirements/
Díaz, D. A., Panosky, D. M., & Shelton, D. (2014). Simulation: introduction to correctional nursing in a prison setting. Journal of Correctional Health Care, 20(3), 240-248.
Restellini, J. P., & Restellini, R. (2014). 3. Prison-specific ethical and clinical problems. Prisons and health, 11.
Schoenly, L., & Knox, C. M. (2012). Essentials of correctional nursing. Springer Publishing Company.
