For some individuals, the healthcare they receive in the correctional environment is the first they have received in quite some time, and many have undiagnosed serious illnesses. In addition, many have risk factors for the development of chronic disease at an earlier age than the general population. The Correctional Nurse conducting health assessments and sick call must be aware of…
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Silence Kills: Communicating for Patient Safety
What do you do if you see a fellow nurse not washing his/her/their hands after a dressing change or not checking the MAR (Medication Administration Record) before administering routine medication to a patient? Speaking up about breaches in safety rules or other concerning issues can be a struggle of conscience. Staff nurses like to avoid conflict. This can be particularly true…
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Chronic Care: Patient Education That Makes Sense
Managing chronic conditions is a major process in every correctional setting. The chronic care visit is an ideal time for patient teaching and reinforcement. Correctional nurses often provide a large part of patient teaching in a collaborative chronic care clinic. Areas of teaching include Unfortunately, there are few ready-made patient educational materials that suit the correctional setting. Most materials must…
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