How easy it is to quickly blame the actions of staff as the cause of a clinical error. After all, most errors come down to a specific staff member missing an important assessment finding or miscalculating a medication dose. Unfortunately, clinical events are rarely that simple and, when ... Read More about Correctional Nursing Practice Update: What Causes Clinical Error?
The Correctional Nurse
Correctional Nurse Clinical Update: Verbal Order Safety Tips
Orders communicated verbally are common in all clinical settings with estimates as high as 20% of all inpatient ordering. Do you use verbal orders in your correctional facility? I'm confident that you do…..and probably more frequently than traditional settings, as prescribers are often less ... Read More about Correctional Nurse Clinical Update: Verbal Order Safety Tips
Correctional Nurse Clinical Update: How to Perform a Psychiatric Nursing Assessment
Serious mental illness affects at least one in four incarcerated individuals in the US according to a 2015 study by the Urban Institute. More than half of our patients have symptoms of a mental disorder. Correctional nurses, then, are mental health nurses in most settings. Here are just a few ... Read More about Correctional Nurse Clinical Update: How to Perform a Psychiatric Nursing Assessment
Correctional Nurse Clinical Update: Sharps Safety
I consult with jails and prisons across the country regarding healthcare programs, Correctional Nursing practice, and patient and staff safety. Sharps safety is one area that continues to be a concern. We all know what we need to do, but don’t always do it. Sharp Safety in ... Read More about Correctional Nurse Clinical Update: Sharps Safety
Correctional Nurse Clinical Update: Post Pepper Spray Care
Pepper spray is a popular option to subdue violent incarcerated persons when other de-escalation methods fail. It is preferred over options of lethal force in most correctional settings. A call just came in from cell block D. They are enroute with an inmate for evaluation after being ... Read More about Correctional Nurse Clinical Update: Post Pepper Spray Care