Asthma is one of those conditions that can seem routine in correctional healthcare. Most nurses encounter patients with asthma regularly, and many incarcerated persons have managed the condition for years before arriving at the facility. Because it is so common, it can be easy to become comfortable with it. One of the most important lessons I learned about asthma is…
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What Thirty Years Behind the Wall Has Taught Me When I first began working in correctional healthcare more than thirty years ago, I thought I was coming to care for a unique patient population. I quickly discovered that I was also entering a profession unlike any other. Correctional nursing has challenged me, humbled me, frustrated me, and inspired me. It…
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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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