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Nurses' experience of caring for inmate patients
1University of Connecticut Health Center, Correctional Managed Health Care, Farmington, Connecticut 06030-5386, USA. weiskopf@adp.uchc.edu
Journal of Advanced Nursing
|February 11, 2005
Summary
Nurses face significant challenges providing healthcare in correctional settings, balancing patient care with security demands. Despite frustrations, they demonstrate courage and perseverance to ensure inmate health and healing.
Area of Science:
- Correctional healthcare
- Prison nursing
- Inmate patient care
Background:
- Correctional facilities often prioritize punishment over health and disease prevention.
- Nurses in prisons must balance patient care with security needs.
- Factors influencing prison nursing include custody staff values, education, management, and organizational practices.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the lived experiences of nurses providing healthcare to inmates.
- To understand the challenges and dynamics of caring for patients in correctional settings.
Main Methods:
- Qualitative study utilizing in-depth interviews with nine Registered Nurses.
- Thematic analysis of interview data using Colaizzi's phenomenological method.
Main Results:
- Nurses' caring involves navigating the conflict between security culture and healthcare culture.
- Nurses encountered numerous limitations affecting the nurse-patient relationship.
- Nurses exhibited courage and vigilance due to environmental risks, prioritizing patient well-being.
Conclusions:
- Caring for inmate patients in restrictive environments is challenging and frustrating for nurses.
- Implications exist for nursing practice, education, and research to improve inmate health outcomes.
- Ensuring patient safety, nurse safety, and the integrity of caring practice is paramount.