Present clinical experience

My clinical experience at the prison is honestly hard to explain. The main thing I can say is that I was terrified. I dont think its an environment I would want to work in. There are different security levelsmaximum and minimumdepending on the inmates situations. On the sixth floor, we noticed there were more Native American inmates housed there.

The minimum-security side really surprised me. It didnt fully feel like a prison, but at the same time, it still was. The inmates wore casual clothes and were able to hang out with each other. Many of them were only a few months away from being released, so they were placed at a lower security level. There was still security present, but the atmosphere felt more relaxed. I remember one inmate saying that people think theyre going to try to escape, but he said, Why would I escape and risk jeopardizing my release? That stuck with me because it made sensetrying to escape would only delay their freedom.

What really amazed me was how different it was from what I imagined. When I think of prison, I picture no luxuriesno TV, no phones, no music, nothing. But in this prison, many inmates had TVs in their rooms, access to phones, and were listening to music. They were just kind of relaxing. I was honestly shocked and kept thinking, What kind of prison is this? But this was my first experience in a prison setting, so I didnt really know what to expect.

Another thing that stood out to me was the mental health aspectthere was a strong behavioral and psychiatric component throughout the facility. And surprisingly, the currency among inmates was ramen noodles. That really caught my attention because my daughter loves ramen noodles and would eat them for breakfast, lunch, and dinner if I let her. When they said ramen noodles were basically the prison currency, I couldnt help but laugh. Here I am limiting how much ramen my daughter eats, and in prison, its considered valuable. That part was honestly funny and something I wont forget.

I remember during medication pass in the maximum-security unit, there were about five officers who would come and stand by the cell before the door was opened. They stayed there for safety in case anything happened. The door wouldnt open until the nurse said she was ready to give the inmate their medication. I honestly expected it to be chaotic or intense, but it actually went very smoothly.

There was one particular inmate we came to, and the nurse told us to stand back near the table because he had tried to attack the med cart during a previous pass. Even knowing that, she still treated him like any other patient. She greeted him, asked how he was doing, and spoke to him respectfully. She didnt judge him or treat him differently because of his past behavior. That really stood out to me.

At one point, she mentioned that most of the inmates see her as a mother figure. At first, I didnt really understand what she meant. But after observing her during med pass, it started to make sense. She was consistent, calm, caring, and present for them. She genuinely cared and tried to help them if they needed anything. She was my preceptor, and you could tell she truly loved what she did and took pride in supporting her patients, no matter the setting.

Read one evidence-based scholarly article

Address the following in your paper: (Read prior to clinical experience):

1. How would you compare the correctional nurse’s “therapeutic approach” to inmates as compared to the traditional nurse/patient relationship? How is it different? How is it the same?
2. What did you notice about the inmates’ general health status and health care practices? Give examples to support
3. your observallons
4. Ask a nurse, “What is it like to be a correctional nurse?” Summarize their response in your paper.
5. Reflect on your clinical experience at the prison and describe your feeling, fears, etc. that you experienced during this clinical.
6. Locate one evidence-based scholarly article on correctional nursing prior to your prison clinical experience. Be prepared to ask questions of your preceptor. In your paper, compare and contrast the article with what you observe during your clinical experience. Write in paper format, utilizing appropriate headers, introduction and conclusion.