The Importance Of Correctional Nursing

Correctional nursing has become a specialty in the nursing profession in the past few years (Shoenly, 2015). Although it is a relatively new caring role, it is quickly evolving as an important element of society (Weiskopf, 2004). Correctional nursing includes nurses that contribute to the health improvement of inmates and detainees that are not able to reach heath access outside of their boundaries or are in need of care. According to Weiskopf. (2004), there are more than two million prisoners in the United States, whereas Statistics Canada. (2016) says that there were more than 35 000 inmates in Canadian custody (Reitano, 2003). The importance of exploring Correctional nursing is to identify the impact nurses have in prisons. It is important

However, the impacts the have on improving these lifestyle attributes differ between different demographics. The academic journal, “Vulnerable and Cultural Perspectives for Nursing Care in Correctional Systems” describes the different care that is provided in prisons. Anita Hufft and Michelina M. Kite are both registered nurses which make them certified to write about this topic. Correctional nurses provide care for women who have increasingly became the most prevalent group in jails. As describes by Hufft & Kite. (2003), women are more susceptible to health concerns involving poor self-care, histories of physical and sexual abuse, high drug use and high fat and carbohydrate diets. Because of these factors, women are also more likely to develop a trusting relationship with staff, including correctional nurses. Another group that is prevalent in the care of correctional nurses is Juveniles. The need for juvenile nursing care is increasing due to the increase of juveniles in correctional settings. Correctional nurses help juveniles who are involved in drug and gun use, gang involvement, and who are in need of aiding mental health problems. Many inmates have chronic illness, which is an evident group in prisons. HIV and AIDS (DEFINE THESE AND CITE THE SOURCE) are the most common health problems in correctional settings. These two health problems are often dealt with by

Nurses provide information to all individuals with interventions that can help provide support for the inmate. Nurses also deal with cultural barriers in which they identify when inmates prefer being addressed in certain ways, when eye-contact is offensive, and when to identify cultural behaviour. These caring techniques are important as 80% of these inmates will return to the community in which they came from. Correctional nursing is primarily important to help the individual become healthy as well as prepare to return to a community to avoid