With so many options out there – hospitals, private clinics, urgent care centers, skilled nursing centers and more – why would a Nurse Practitioner or Physician Assistant choose to work in a correctional environment? For many, they say the advantages of working in a prison or jail setting just can’t be matched elsewhere.
Focus on Quality Care
Michelle Lucero, PA at the New Mexico Women’s Correctional Facility in Grants, has been in corrections since 2000 and says for her, correctional healthcare is the most satisfying professional choice.
“I would so much prefer to stay in corrections than anywhere else,” said Michele. “I can do my job and focus on providing much needed patient education. I inform my patients we need to work as a team as they too are responsible for their own healthcare."
Diane Kaminsky, an NP with CMS since 2005, adds that the correctional environment can also help lead to better follow-up and monitoring of patients when needed.
“The quality of care here is excellent,” said Diane, who works at Indiana State Prison in Michigan City. “If I have a diabetic patient with out of control levels, I can see him monthly. Or if I have a patient with controlled diabetes, I can still see him every three months. How many diabetic patients go in to see their doctor every month or few months? …In the correctional environment, you can monitor a patient as much as you need and make sure they are taking the medication per your direction. It’s one less thing you have to worry about when treating your patients.”
Integrated Team Environment
Barb Brubaker has been an NP for more than 30 years across a variety of settings so she’s seen just about everything. For her, one of the primary benefits of working in a correctional medical unit is the integrated team environment.
“We have a lot of resources available to care for the patient and to consult with on any issues or questions,” said Barb, who works at Westville Correctional Facility in Westville, Indiana. “We have medical, dental and mental health all right here on-site so it’s very easy to consult with any one of them when needed for a patient and look at the whole picture. We all work together here, and I’ve found everyone to always be willing to help.”
Diane adds that working in a full-service unit is nice also it means she doesn’t have to wait for things like x-ray or lab results.
“We do x-rays and labwork right here and we usually gets results pretty quick,” said Diane. “If a patient needs an x-ray, we do it, I look it over and can treat the patient appropriately right away. It’s very convienent and it makes for a more efficient care process.”
Opportunity to Expand Clinical Skills
“I just oriented a new NP and I told her, this is the best place you could be because you will see everything,” said Michelle. “In a lot of practices, it can become monotonous - sore throats, colds, etc. In correctional healthcare, you will see all the zebras as some of our patients have hardly been to a doctor before, so you see conditions you rarely see anywhere else. You’ll always be learning or doing something new here.”
Priority on Security
Many correctional healthcare professionals say the biggest challenge you face when new to the correctional environment is the security. Not a lack of security, but in fact, the very opposite – getting used to the fact that security is always the top priority.
“Here, security always comes first,” said Barb. “So that takes some getting used to going through the gates and all, but you quickly realize the security procedures benefit everyone. Everyone is where they should be and there’s always a security officer there if you need anything. I’ve never had any issues in all the time I’ve been here, but it’s nice knowing security is the priority and you have all these safety measures in place.”
Diane points out she thinks correctional environments are one of the safest environments around.
“If you’re working in a clinic somewhere, you don’t know who’s going to come in through that door next or what they may be capable of,” said Diane. “Even if you’re out shopping or in a parking lot, anything could happen at any given moment. I’ve never had any problems here, but at least here you have security officers around everywhere if you need them. I tell people to just give it a chance and see for yourself. It’s not the stereotype you may think.”