A Personal Note on Living and Correctional Nursing During the Covid-19 Pandemic

When I first heard of the Coronavirus, it was just starting to make news and still in China.  It wasn't a valid concern here, in Michigan, so I let it go in one ear and out the other.

Then I started to see a post here and there about it spreading throughout China extremely quickly with multiple deaths noted, and in the back of my mind, I began to get worried.  Worried for the people in China and worried that it would inevitably find it's way here, to the U.S..
BUT
still not overly concerned.  I mean, we (the U.S.A.) are invincible right?

Your Friendly Neighborhood (Jail) Drug Dealer

My inmates have affectionately nick-named me the friendly neighborhood drug dealer.  Every time I come to the door to pass meds they're all like 'drug dealer's here!' lol - it sounds like a dig but it's actually a cute nickname.  I forget how it started originally but with each wave of new inmates that pass through the jail, the tradition gets carried on.  It's extra funny because we (my county jail) do not give out any of the 'good' drugs.  We do not give any narcotics, controlled meds or high abuse medications.  Basically just 'need for life' meds, in fact the biggest pain med we give is Tylenol or Naproxen 😂

Educating Inmates Part 3

As noted in Part 2 of this Educating Inmates, for Part 3 I will be going over some of the exercises for both the mind and body that I teach to my inmates to help keep their bodies and minds healthy while incarcerated and of course some of the weird shit people have said to me concerning this topic 😆

Incarceration can be very taxing on the body not only mentally but physically as well.  In small county jails like mine, there are no weight rooms, outside areas or big, common areas.  Exercise space, therefore, is very limited - of course, there is a rec area but in the grand scheme of things, it is very small; and while the inmates do get down to that area a couple of times a week, there is usually too many people to really to do any real type of freestyle exercises.

Holidays and Inmates

*The above picture is an Amazon Affiliate link*

Around this time of the year, I start to get kites (a medical form from the inmates to nursing staff with any type of health concern) dealing with increased depression.  This is mainly due to the end of the year holidays coming up.  Jail is really not a fun place to be during any holiday but the end of the year holidays seem to be extra tough for most.

The CO's tend to get multiple calls concerning extra visitation scheduling and questions regarding what family and friends can do for the inmate for the holidays.

So I've decided to write up some ideas for family and friends to give to their loved ones whom are incarcerated 😎

I'm basing these suggestions off of my facility, which is a County Jail.  Make sure before you purchase or send anything to your friend or loved one you check with the facility that they are being housed at to ensure it will be able to be given to the inmate!!  This is very important as every facility has slightly different rules and regulations regarding what the inmate can and can't have, as well as limits on how many!

Some of the biggest things that inmates love to receive are personal letters, photos of friends and family, and monies for commissary items 😉 above and beyond that, here are my top 5 suggestions to send to your friend or loved one when they are incarcerated.

Work Shenanigans!!

I absolutely LOVE my job, not only because of what I do but also because of my Co-Workers!!

(I would like to note that ALL of us take the job very seriously and know when it's OK to take a moment to play and when it's time to 'get down to business' as they say - I don't want anyone to think that we aren't doing our jobs keeping the public safe and the inmates healthy and contained 😉  My Correctional Officers and I have a symbiotic relationship when it comes to care for the inmates.  We respect each others positions and are able to work together to give the inmates the best, safest care possible.)

This post is not about nursing or safety though...

This post is about Shenanigans 😝

Urine Drug Screens and False Positives in Correctional Nursing

One thing I had not even considered until I was in Correctional Nursing was the possibility of false positives with drug screening.

  

Critical Thinking in Correctional Nursing

The biggest attribute a nurse needs to be successful in Correctional Nursing is Critical Thinking skills.

"Critical thinking is the intellectually disciplined process of actively and skillfully conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and/or evaluating information gathered from, or generated by, observation, experience, reflection, reasoning, or communication, as a guide to belief and action. In its exemplary form, it is based on universal intellectual values that transcend subject matter divisions: clarity, accuracy, precision, consistency, relevance, sound evidence, good reasons, depth, breadth, and fairness."
http://www.criticalthinking.org/pages/defining-critical-thinking/766

It is a skill that needs to be honed.

Correctional Nursing

Most people wonder how in the world I ended up being an RN in a Jail.