Correctional Nursing

Working in Sally Port is different, because you get to see the inmates when they first come in, drunk as skunks, mad as hell, tearful, hostile, or believe it or not all of the above. I love it when you get the ones that say " Don't I even get a phone call, or " I didn't do anything" especially sad though are the people who have obvious mental health issues. This is hard because on most occasions these people are in jail for loitering, hanging outside of a gas station or a store, talking to themselves or acting strange. Nost of the time they have not been taking there medications and so their symptoms esculate. Since the 1970's when the government closed down alot of the state facilitied for these people the only option to help them get back on their medications and treatment regimens is to find charges to bring them into the jail.

These people get to see the mental health counselors, and the pyschiatrist, they get started back on their medications and we stablize them.the problem is after we do all that we have to release them back to society where their is little to no accomodations for them to live. so the cycle continues in and out, in and out.

When you medicated these men and women you always make sure they swallowed their medications, because some of the issues with the diease is that they don't like taking their medications because it numbs them emotionally and sedates them. Some inmates end up sleeping all day up to eat and then back to sleep.

I worked in San Quentin Prison one night years ago in Ad Seg. ( Administrative section for inmates that don't play well with each other) When I got there that night during my medication rounds I kept hearing loud knocking and yelling down the hall way. I asked the CO ( correctional Officer) what was going on and he told me that an inmate was doing it all day and all night for the last 2 days.

I asked the CO if I could talk to him and the CO said sure no problem.
When I approached the cell door I noticed that the cubby hole window was covered with toliet paper, The CO said he had did it earlier in the shift. I called out the inmates name and asked him If I could talk to him. He agreed, and the CO opened the cubby hole that they put the meals through, a steel tap door.

The man was sitting on the floor with his face at the cubby hole, he had on toilet paper wrapped around his forehead, I asked him why and he said that it blocks the FBI from getting into his thoughts.I asked him why he was so upset, and he said that he the FBI put him in this cell because they want everyone to think he is crazy.

Well, I knew that I did not want him yelling and screaming anymore, so I told him that by screaming and yelling out like that can make a person look crazy, I talked to him for about 10 minutes, I asked him to try calming down so that he didn't look crazy to others and finally told him I would check up on him through out the night.

I did, came back just about every hour on the shift and checked in with him, the Co's said he was calm the rest of the night. All he needed was a little time from someone, anyone.

Job security

Changing shifts can be very hectic in medical unit of a jail, head count is taking place, everything stops to a stand still while shift reports are made and head counts are completed.

Charge nurses give a verbal report to each other and medication nurses are switching narcotic counts, radio counts, and then verbal reports. Once that is done and the goodbyes, good lucks are given, then the nurses get busy. The charge nurse will start taking vitals and giving medications to the inmates in the infirmary. The sally port nurse ( intake nurse for new arrestes,) will go to the intake unit and begin the medical processing of the new arrestees. and the medication nurses will begin the process of administering medications in my case it's the night shift. 12 hours and approximately 350 inmates I am responsible for.

Last night I was responsible for the general population of males in the jail.
These individuals have usually 30 days- 365 days in jail, their what I call job security. Some have quarky personalities, There was one inmate who comes and goes, no major crimes, usually open containers, drinking in public, riding a bike while drinking alcohol, trespassing at the local gas stations, stuff like that, anyway.
One night he presented himself to me while I was passing out his medications Mrs. H! I get out of here tomorrow, " How long have you been here I asked?" 90 days, and I am ready to go home. I wished him good luck that night, and thought to myself he'll be back. about 24 hours later, I came into work and one of the nurses mentioned that the inmate "Charlie" name changed to protect the quilty) was back, No way! I replied, yep she said he's in Sally port now.

After report, I rushed down to sallyport and the deputy opened the cell door, I looked at him and asked "WHAT HAPPENED" He began by saying " I got at about noon this afternoon, and some buddys of mine came to pick me up, we went over to the 7-11 store and we bought a 6 pack of beer, We walked around the back of the store, and while I was opening the beer the police came and arrested me." 'Did you get to drink of the beer Charle? " Nope!, I didn't have time. I just looked at him, " I would of chugged it down! he smiled and said I would of been tazed or something. How long you going to be here? I asked He looked at me shook his head and said 30 DAYS..

Poor Guy. Job Security....

correctional nursing antidotes

I have been working in Florida as a correctional nurse for just about 6 years now, I use to be a nurse is San Francisco at the San Francisco County Jail and San Quentin Prison for a while,
I moved here because I wanted a slower pace life style.
When I tell people I work at a jail they almost always say" you do? Why???
and I always tell them you meet alot of interesting people and their a captive audience.


I was working in the jail the other night and I ran into an old fellow that comes into the facility more then a few times, When he presented himself for medication at his Cell, I looked at him and Said Hey! Edward * (name changed to protect the guilty) Your back! What are you doing here? I asked him, he smiled tilted his head and said I missed you, " Good answer I replied. I looked at the deputy and said Job security!