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Correctional Nurse Specialist - Career Profile |
Career OverviewAs the title suggests, correctional nurse specialists are trained to provide general healthcare to inmates in correctional facilities. They practice in a range of facilities, including juvenile offender homes, jails, prisons, and penitentiaries across the country.
Their responsibilities include diagnosing and treating a range of illnesses and injuries, from acute conditions, such as trauma and the flu to chronic health problems, which include conditions such as AIDS, substance abuse, mental illness, and cancer.
Depending on their level of experience and their range of qualifications, correctional nurse specialists may be trained as staff nurse, clinical nurse specialist, or nurse practitioner. Within the scope of a correctional nurse specialist, it is also common for qualified professionals to work as department or team managers and supervisor, coordinating the work of a number of medical professionals in the health care of inmates of correctional facilities.
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Career RequirementsCorrectional nurse specialists must hold a current and unrestricted license to practice as a registered nurse and they must also have a minimum of two years full-time equivalent practical experience as a registered nurse in order to practice. Because of the general nature of much of the work, it is, however, beneficial for correctional nurse specialists to have a Bachelor of Science degree and even advanced clinical experience.
Some correctional nurse specialists may focus on a particular aspect of medicine, such as critical care or psychiatry, for which they require additional training and certification, undertaking clinical supervision to demonstrate competency in the area of specialist practice. Many more confine themselves to general practice.
Correctional nurse specialists do, however, fall into the field of forensic nursing because in some instances they may be required to offer testimony or participate in the practice of forensic medicine as part of their role interacting with, diagnosing, and treating inmates and correctional facility staff.
The American Nurses Credentialing Center awards licenses to qualified forensic nurses and is the official source for more information about finding an accredited training course. The International Association of Forensic Nurses provides additional information about courses and certification in forensic nursing. For more information contact the following organizations:
International Association of Forensic Nurses
www.forensicnurse.org
(856) 256-2425
iafn@ajj.com
National Commission on Correctional Healthcare
1300 W Belmont Ave.
Chicago, IL 60657
773-880-1460
American Nurses Credentialing Center
600 Maryland Ave., SW, Suite 100 West
Washington, D.C. 20024-2571
(800) 284-2378
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Job OutlookIn the next decade, nursing will be one of the top 10 fastest growing professions in the United States according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Health care facilities will be looking to cut back on general costs so trained nurses may become the preferred alternative to more specialized medical professionals.
With growing numbers of prison inmates and still more individuals in some what connected to correctional facilities, the specific opportunities for correctional nurse specialists looks quite promising.
The future looks bright in the nursing field in general, too, with the number of jobs for registered nurses expected to increase at a rate far greater than that of most other jobs in the next couple of years.
As the field of forensic nursing develops, there will certainly be increased opportunity for nurses to demonstrate leadership and to influence the direction of the field. Careers as correctional nurse specialists may provide opportunity to take advantage of this.
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Career TrackSee Forensic Nurse
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CompensationSee Forensic Nurse
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