In a correctional facility, a correctional nurse is responsible for providing care to inmates. This type of nurse is expected to provide high-quality care to his patients regardless of their reasons for being incarcerated. A correctional nurse, like other nurses, is supervised a physician and often works as part of a team of nurses or medical care providers. He may assist doctors and nurse practitioners, administer medications, provide first aid and emergency care, monitor inmate health, and care for inmates based on the facility’s physician’s or nurse practitioner’s instructions.
Medication administration is one of the responsibilities of a correctional nurse. This job entails administering medications that have been approved for specific inmates. He may do so in a designated area of the prison, or prisoners who require medications may come to a designated area to receive them. At this time, the nurse may monitor the patient’s vital signs and look for signs of deterioration or improvement in health.
When an inmate becomes ill, a correctional nurse may be able to assist him. A correctional nurse may assess the patient for signs of illness under the direction of the prison doctor or nurse practitioner. Then, in accordance with the regulations governing the correctional nursing staff, he may refer the patient to the prison’s doctor, dentist, or psychiatrist for examination. When necessary, the nurse may also assist the doctor or nurse practitioner in examining patients, performing tests, and administering appropriate treatment.
Many inmates suffer from chronic illnesses that necessitate frequent monitoring while they are incarcerated. A correctional nurse, for example, may assist in the monitoring of the health of a patient with poorly controlled diabetes or a patient who is mentally ill. He may also help with the care of patients who require intravenous therapeutic drugs as well as those who require casts. Patients who require frequent medical attention or who must use medical devices on a regular basis are sometimes housed in special medical cells. This allows the nurse easier access to the patient and may reduce the risk of medical devices being used as weapons in the general prison population.
Assuring that safety procedures are followed is an important part of a correctional nurse’s job. Because many prison populations are susceptible to communicable diseases, proper handling of bodily fluids, used needles, and other types of hazardous waste is essential. Taking proper safety precautions can help prevent disease from spreading not only among the inmates, but also among the medical staff at the facility.