If you work with female incarcerated individuals, you are likely to regularly care for pregnant patients. It is estimated that 6-10% of incarcerated women are pregnant at any time in the criminal justice system as almost 80% of female incarcerated individuals are of child-bearing age. Many correctional nurses enter their correctional practice with little experience caring for pregnant women, yet we…
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A patient’s right to self-determination is part of their inherent human dignity. Provision 1 of the Code of Ethics for Nurses calls us to practice with compassion and respect for the inherent dignity, worth, and unique attributes of every person. Individuals forfeit many of their rights when incarcerated. Is one of them self-determination? Consider this situation: The inmates in several…
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While the first provision of the Code of Ethics for Nurses addresses the need for compassion and respect for all individuals, the second provision identifies the primary concern of nursing care – the patient. Consider this situation: Inmate Sorokin is in administrative segregation for fighting with an officer last night. During medication rounds he tells nurse Vargas that he needs…
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