| When you begin looking into nursing careers, working | | | | injuries. In addition, nurses working in correctional |
| in a prison might not be your first choice - or even | | | | facilities also work with psychiatric issues and medical |
| something you've ever considered. However, a | | | | emergencies. Working in a prison setting will give you |
| career in correctional nursing can be very rewarding. | | | | a broad spectrum of experience that you can take |
| This career avenue is often very lucrative. Nurses | | | | with you wherever you go later. But many nurses |
| working in a prison setting are likely to be paid more | | | | find that they enjoy the prison setting so much that |
| due to the nature of the job. Correctional facilities | | | | it becomes their career path. |
| know that to attract quality health professionals, | | | | The biggest concern that most people have about |
| they have to be competitive with salaries. | | | | working in a prison facility is quite naturally safety. |
| While working in a prison setting might first seem like | | | | Most nurses who work in this arena explain that |
| a boring detail, it can actually be pretty exciting for | | | | inmates are usually accompanied by guards for |
| one who enjoys working with specific diseases. In | | | | protection. However, you may have to deal with |
| the prison population there are some health problems | | | | inmates who are belligerent or threatening. |
| that crop up more often than they do in the general | | | | While these concerns are valid, most of the time |
| population. | | | | working in a prison is safe. You'll have to decide if |
| For example, HIV/AIDS is very prevalent in the | | | | you feel like the risk is worth the reward. In the best |
| prison population due to high-risk behaviors such as | | | | cases inmates are very grateful for medical care |
| drug use and alcohol abuse. In addition, you may see | | | | because they haven't received very much of it |
| more cases of rare illnesses because of the inmates' | | | | before becoming incarcerated. |
| previous lack of medical care. | | | | If you're interested in working in correctional health, |
| Prisons are required to provide quality access to | | | | you may want to get more information from the |
| medical care to inmates, so you won't be working in | | | | National Commission on Correctional Health Care. This |
| a substandard environment. In fact, many prison | | | | agency offers a specific certification for nurses |
| facilities are similar to working in a mainstream medical | | | | working in correctional facilities. This certification will |
| practice. | | | | help to ensure that you've had training on safety, |
| Nurses have responsibilities such as administering | | | | legal matters, and health care issues specific to the |
| medications, taking blood, and helping to treat minor | | | | prison population. |