In most settings where nurses practice, the interdisciplinary team includes other health care professionals such as physicians, diagnostic technicians, and pharmacists. Sure, there may be unlicensed ancillary staff in the mix such as admissions clerks and supply personnel, but everyone is generally focused on the goal of providing health care. Not so in a correctional facility. Here, in addition to…
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Correctional Nurse Clinical Update: The Elderly Population in Corrections
The Extent of the Problem The incarcerated elderly (defined as persons over 50 or 55 years of age) is the fastest growing segment of the incarcerated US population. The Bureau of Prisons’ statistics from May 2025 indicate that 20.1% of the federal incarcerated population is 51 years or older. This growth is expected to continue for many reasons, including longer sentencing,…
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Correctional Nurse Practice Update: Taser/Electronic Control Weapon Injury
Taser/Electronic Control Weapons (ECW) injury often happens in jails, prisons, and in the community when individuals are being apprehended, and the correctional nurse often must address its physical and emotional effects. Consider this: Joyce is working at the local county jail on Friday night when a man-down code is called for the booking area. She arrives to find an obese, disheveled…
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