Corrections Health Nurse

$5,000 Hiring Bonus

Your job in the department is to . . .

Provide comprehensive health maintenance, preventive and primary medical care, and treatment for adult inmates in a county corrections facility.

Your job also involves . . .

Assisting in the operation of the health care unit and in the development, direction, coordination, and evaluation of professional nursing practices under the direction of the Sergeant. Assumes responsibility for operation of the unit in the absence of management staff.

JOB FUNCTIONS

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS are critical and fundamental responsibilities of the position of all Corrections Health Nurse. The incumbent must be able to perform these functions with or without reasonable accommodation. A Corrections Health Nurses will follow the six standards of practice:

• Assessment – Conduct and document initial and ongoing comprehensive and focused nursing assessments of the health status of patients by:

• Collecting objective and subjective data from observations, examinations, interviews, and written records in an accurate and timely manner as appropriate to the patient’s health care needs and context of care. Distinguishing abnormal from normal data, analyzing, recording, and reporting the data. Detecting inaccurate, incomplete, or missing patient information and reporting such. Recognizing changes in patient status. Assesses patients’ physical and emotional condition to assure patients a safe, sanitary, and therapeutic environment according to established procedures, especially patients in restraints, seclusion, protective devices or on special observation precautions.
• Diagnosis and Priorities – Analysis of the assessment data to derive a nursing diagnosis and priorities. Documents diagnoses or concerns in a manner that facilitates the patient’s involvement in developing a plan of care.
• Outcomes identification – Based on the diagnosis the Corrections Health Nurse will identify outcomes that are culturally relevant, health literate, based in evidence and attainable through local resources and policies. Document expected outcomes and measurable objectives.
• Planning – Develop and coordinate a comprehensive plan of nursing care to maintain continuity of treatment and develop focused plans of nursing care, including selecting appropriate nursing interventions and strategies, especially for patients with chronic medical problems or serious and persistent mental illness. Develop nursing orders. Document the plan using health literate and culturally competent language that can be understood by the care team and patient.

• Implementation – The Corrections Health Nurse oversees the implementation of the plan through treatment, case management, referrals to community partners, collaboration with community resources, health promotion and educates patients concerning diet, hygiene, long term effects of alcohol and drug abuse, and methods of prevention of disease. Implement the plan of care by administering medical and nursing treatments including giving medications, titrating medications, daily detox assessments and handling dressing changes;
  
  also monitors and evaluates vital signs.

Additional job responsibilities:

• Documentation – The Corrections Health Nurse will document medical history including current medical problems, allergies, on-going medications, and treatment of patients, using an electronic medical records program. As well as nursing interventions and responses to care in an accurate, timely, thorough, and clear manner. All prescription drug use for patients will be documented according to established drug recordkeeping practices in an electronic medical records program.
  
  Documents activities and status of care coordination.
• Medication- Provides sound pharmacology dispensing practices, including drug identification, drug action, side effects and proper dosage.
• Equipment- Evaluate and monitor medical supplies to ensure availability of appropriate supplies,…