Correctional nursing

Nurses are required in prisons, jails, and detention centers; their job is to provide physical and mental healthcare for detainees and inmates.

[2] These nurses also work with crime victims and assist in expert witness testimonies, and are involved in a variety of legal cases, including paternity disputes and workplace injuries.

In 2017 State and Federal Governments paid more than $150 billion to incarcerate these individuals and their stays in the system are usually 4 times longer than other patients.

[7] Nurses training in the criminal justice system must be prepared for these problems in their daily practices.

These remain an issue for this population due to the prisoners engaging in high-risk behaviors including unprotected sexual contact.

[3] For the older adult prison population (aged 50 years and above), common chronic health conditions reported include diabetes, hypertension, arthritis, cancer, and respiratory disorders such as asthma and emphysema.

Also, with the common chronic conditions as listed above, there needs to be increased access to reproductive health services including gynecological exams.

[9] The root causes of this issue are related to being isolated, being detained in locations away from loved ones, and bullying from other prisoners.