You evaluated a patient an hour ago. The vital signs were within normal limits, your focused nursing assessment was reassuring, and the patient returned to housing. As you finish documenting the encounter, another nurse asks, “How’s the patient doing now?” It’s a simple question, but one that can be surprisingly difficult to answer. Unless you’ve reassessed the patient, you don’t…
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The morning medication line is moving quickly. Officers are trying to keep the line flowing, and dozens of incarcerated persons are still waiting for their medications. As one patient reaches the medication window, he quietly says, “I’ve had a terrible headache since last night. Can I get some Tylenol?” You pause for a moment. Do you stop medication administration long…
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Hypertension is one of the most common chronic conditions encountered in correctional healthcare. Most nurses learn about blood pressure ranges, medications, and the risks associated with uncontrolled hypertension during nursing school. What took me longer to learn were some of the practical lessons that come from caring for patients with hypertension in a correctional setting. One of the first things…
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