Ask any nurse who triages the medical requests or any nurse who conducts nurse sick call, and they will tell you that skin rashes and lesions are frequently a problem for our patients in the correctional environment. This has been attributed to a number of unique characteristics of the correctional environment, like being in close quarters, and patients with histories…
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Food allergies can be a real challenge for correctional nurses. It is important to document these allergies during intake screenings and put safeguards in place to avoid allergic reactions behind bars. However, incarcerated individuals can report food allergies that are really preferences (I’m allergic to bologna sandwiches) or food intolerances (I’m allergic to onions). How can true allergies be sorted…
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Mr. Foster had a difficult time withdrawing from heroin when he was admitted to the jail 10 days ago on a burglary charge. He was stealing to meet the demands of his 5-bag a day heroin habit. A man-down emergency was just called for his housing unit and you respond and find Mr. Foster unconscious and barely breathing. His cellmate…
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