Correctional nurses pride themselves on objectivity, fairness, and professionalism. Yet like all humans, we carry unconscious assumptions that can influence our decisions in ways we may not even recognize. These automatic attitudes and stereotypes, known as implicit bias, shape how we interpret patient behaviors, assess symptoms, and make clinical decisions. Behind the wall, where stigma and inequities already exist, unchecked bias…
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Correctional Nurse Clinical Update: Mental Health Conditions IV Psychosis
The Bureau of Justice reports that 15% of persons in prison and 24% of persons in jail reported having thought disturbances. Psychotic patients have lost touch with reality and have unusual thought disturbances such as hallucinations and delusions. Thus, correctional nurses are likely to provide nursing care to psychotic patients during their career. The most common psychotic disorder is schizophrenia, but patients can…
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Correctional Nurse Clinical Update: Mental Health Conditions III Mood Disorders
Carrie is passing medications for the morning pill line in a large medium security state prison. One of the women shuffles to the window looking tired and ill. Carrie asks the her “How are you doing?” as she prepares her prescribed medication and the patient says she hasn’t eaten or slept since she got here 3 weeks ago because the…
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