It's 2:30 in the morning. You saw a patient at evening sick call for a cough and fever, and you have reassessed him twice since then. His respiratory rate is a little faster than it was earlier, and his oxygen saturation is a few points lower. He tells you he feels about the same. Nothing is ... Read More about When It’s Time to Call the Provider

When I review a medical record, I rarely look at a single note by itself. I read the record from beginning to end, and over time the individual entries begin to tell a story. Sometimes the story is reassuring. Sometimes it shows something that no one recognized while it was happening. Consider a ... Read More about The Story Your Documentation Tells

Seizure disorders are common in correctional healthcare, and many nurses become comfortable caring for patients who have a history of seizures. One of the first lessons I learned, however, is that the seizure itself is often only part of the assessment. When a seizure is reported, it is natural ... Read More about Things I Wish Someone Had Told Me About Seizure Disorder

Over the past thirty years, I have had the privilege of working alongside hundreds of correctional nurses. They have practiced in county jails, state prisons, federal facilities, juvenile centers, and detention facilities across the country. They have been LPN/LVNs, RNs, APRNs, new graduates, ... Read More about Correctional Nurse Reflection – The Correctional Nurses I Have Admired Most

One of the first lessons new correctional nurses learn is that they do not practice alone. Unlike many other healthcare settings, correctional nurses work side-by-side with correctional officers every day. Each profession has different responsibilities, different training, and different ... Read More about Correctional Nurse Professional Practice Update – Working With Custody