It’s just after 4:00 AM. An incarcerated person was admitted to the infirmary yesterday evening for medical observation after a day of persistent vomiting, dizziness, and generalized weakness. Following a nursing evaluation and consultation with the provider, the decision was made to continue observation overnight rather than transfer him to the hospital. The provider ordered serial vital signs, ongoing nursing…
Read More
Things I Wish Someone Had Told Me About Withdrawal
Withdrawal is one of the most common conditions encountered in correctional healthcare. For many nurses entering the specialty, learning to recognize and manage withdrawal becomes a major focus of orientation and training. While those skills are important, one of the most valuable lessons I learned is that withdrawal should never become the explanation for everything. Patients experiencing withdrawal can present…
Read More
Finding Your People
This week I am at the National Commission on Correctional Health Care’s Fall conference, and if you have ever attended, you know the feeling. Within a few hours, the hallways fill with conversations that would make little sense almost anywhere else. Someone describes a medication pass that ran two hours late because of a lockdown. Someone else asks how other…
Read More