Prison Nurses Research Articles

The Experience of Spanish Prison Nurses with the HIV Pandemic.

This study discusses the experiences of nurses in Spanish prisons during the HIV/AIDS pandemic, emphasizing administrative changes and adaptive measures, such as the creation of the Subdirectorate General of Penitentiary Health. We describe the experiences of nurses in Spanish penitentiary centers in the face of the HIV/AIDS. The interpretative and phenomenological approach explored experiences between 1981 and 2023 through focus groups and convenience sampling. Participants were recruited through telephone calls and telematic meetings using Microsoft Teams. Four key themes were identified: the stigmatization of inmates, changes in nursing, the importance of training and resources, and equal treatment between genders. The nursing vision focused on gathering information, providing comprehensive patient support, and sharing personal experiences. This research provides a historical perspective on the adaptation of prison nursing to the pandemic, highlighting coping processes and suggesting future lines of research on the experiences of inmates, prison guards, and surveillance officers. We highlight the low media visibility of the pandemic in prisons, underlining the importance of understanding and valuing the nursing experience in prison settings during health crises.

Stereotypes and Prejudices in Nursing Prison Activities: A Reflection.

In the prison environment, the nursing profession has particularly complex peculiarities and aspects, so much so that prison nurses require advanced specialist skills and specific education. Can nurses' stereotypes and prejudices in prison settings affect nursing care? What are nurses' perceptions of the prison environment and people in detention? This study aims, on one hand, to outline the figure of the nurse in the prison environment and current regulations and, on the other hand, to explore whether and how stereotypes and prejudices may affect the way care is provided. Starting with an analysis of the literature, the authors administered a questionnaire to a group of nurses who shared data and reflections. This study sheds a new light on nursing in the prison environment, exploring how nurses' stereotypes and prejudices may affect the care of patients. It would be desirable to develop research in this field to enable a more conscious approach to a world that is still considered distant and dangerous, and to overcome the misperceptions and prejudices that may negatively affect the way of caring.

Prison nurses’ experiences with the cooperation with the specialist health service and GPs on opioid agonist treatment (OAT)

Prison nurses’ experiences with the cooperation with the specialist health service and GPs on opioid agonist treatment (OAT)

Exploring the challenges to safer prescribing and medication monitoring in prisons: A qualitative study with health care staff.

Research suggests that patients who are prisoners experience greater morbidity, increased health inequalities and frequent preventable harm, compared to the general population. Little is known about the process and influencing factors for safe prescribing in the unique prison environment, which may limit the development efforts to improve the quality of care in prisons. This study aimed to understand the process and challenges associated with prescribing in prisons, explore the causes and impact of these challenges, and explore approaches to improve prescribing safety in prisons. Grounded theory informed data collection and analysis of a nominal group discussion by seven participants and semi-structured telephone interviews with twenty prison healthcare staff, including GPs, pharmacists, psychiatrists and nurses. The underlying complexity of prescribing in prison settings increased the level of challenge and influenced the safety of this process. Multiple contributors to the challenges of safe prescribing were identified (comprising governance and policy; the prison structure; staff retention, training and skill mix; IT systems and interface; polypharmacy and co-morbidity; tradability and patient behaviour) with overarching constructs of variations in practice/policy and the influence of prison culture. Participants identified measures to address these challenges through multi-disciplinary collaborative working, increased consistency in processes, and the need for more innovation and education/training. Our study highlighted that healthcare provision in prisons is unique and needs to tailor the care provided to patients without enforcing a model focused on primary, secondary or tertiary care. Participants emphasised a necessary shift in workplace culture and behaviour change to support improvements. The COM-B model of behaviour change may be effectively applied to develop interventions in organisations that have in-depth understanding of their own unique challenges.

Working Conditions and Wellbeing among Prison Nurses during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Comparison to Community Nurses.

The psychological health and work challenges of nurses working in prisons during the COVID-19 pandemic are understudied. We evaluated the work and wellbeing characteristics of a California prison nurse group, with a comparison to those of a community nurse group. From May to November 2020, an online survey measured psychosocial and organizational work factors, sleep habits, psychological characteristics, COVID-19 impacts, and pre-pandemic recall among 62 prison nurses and 47 community nurses. Prison nurses had significantly longer work hours (54.73 ± 14.52, p < 0.0001), higher pandemic-related work demands, and less sleep hours (5.36 ± 1.30, p < 0.0001) than community nurses. Community nurses had significantly higher pandemic-related fear levels (work infection: p = 0.0115, general: p = 0.0025) and lower perceived personal protective equipment (PPE) supply (p = 0.0103). Between pre-pandemic and pandemic periods, both groups had significantly increased night shift assignments and decreased sleep hours, but the prison group had increased work hours. Although not statistically significant, both groups had high occupational stress and prevalence of post-traumatic stress symptoms. Our results indicate that prison nurses experienced work and wellbeing challenges during the pandemic. Future research and practice ought to address nurses’ workload, PPE, and psychological resources in correctional facilities and healthcare organizations.

Locking out emotions in locking up older prisoners? Emotional labour of Belgian prison officers and prison nurses

This contribution looks at the emotional labour of prison professionals in the wake of an increasing number of older adults populating this institution. The rationale behind this selective focus is twofold. Firstly, the topic of ageing behind bars has only received scant attention, even though this phenomenon is also increasingly penetrating prison walls. Secondly, little attention has been paid to the performance of emotional labour by practitioners in prison systems working with the specific population of ageing prisoners. Against this background, this contribution reflects on the ambivalent emotional nature of the work of not only the ‘professionals of custody’ but also of the ‘professionals of care’ in a prison setting. This topic will be examined by drawing on cross-disciplinary insights stemming from a wider range of literature and is underpinned by new data originating from an empirical ethnographic study into the meaning of imprisonment in later life in Belgium.

Burnout syndrome: a preliminary study of a population of nurses in italian prisons.

Burnout is a set of psychological manifestations ("emotional exhaustion", "depersonalization" and reduced "personal accomplishment") that principally affects healthcare professionals. Analysis of the level of burnout among twelve nurses who work in two Italian prisons. The Maslach Burnout Inventory was administered. In order to explore possible correlations between the three dimensions of the Maslach Burnout Inventory and such variables as age, years of service in general and years of service in prisons, multiple regression based on the ordinary least squares method (OLS model) was performed. The response rate was 100%, of whom 66.6% female and 33.4% male. The average age is 38.1 years. Over half of the sample had worked from 0 to 10 years in prisons (58.4%), and only one respondent had done so between 21 and 30 years (8.3%). The data indicate that the highest levels of burnout concerned the dimension of "depersonalization" (66.7%) and "personal accomplishment" (41.6%). Emotional exhaustion of nurses in carrying out their work diminished with the increase of the independent variable of "personal accomplishment" (p-value 0.0361); it increased with the increase of the age variable (p-value 0.0117). Personal accomplishment decreased with the increase of the independent variables of emotional exhaustion (p-value 0.0361) and years of service in prisons (p-value 0.0238). For depersonalization, no statistically significant coefficients were observed. Model 1 of multiple regression showed a significant statistical association between the emotional exhaustion (dependent variable) and personal achievement (p-value 0.0361), and increase in age (p-value 0.0117). Model 2 showed significant statistical association between personal achievement (dependent variable) and emotional exhaustion (p=value 0.0361) and years of service nursing in prisons (p-value 0.0238). Model 3 showed no statistical association between depersonalization (dependent variable) and the other variables. While twelve nurses formed this small sample, the study nonetheless indicated how the variables examined can influence the levels of burnout. Given that thorough inquiries into the levels of burnout among nurses who work in Italian prisons, specifically in the Marche Region, have yet to be conducted, this pilot study can serve as a point of reference for future research to improve evidence-based medicine.

Tuberculosis: health care and surveillance in prisons.

To identify tuberculosis-related health care and surveillance actions in Prison Health Units. Cross-sectional study, of quantitative, exploratory and descriptive character. We visited 13 Teams of Prison Health, and nurses and technicians were interviewed regarding epidemiological surveillance instruments, physical structure and materials. Search for respiratory symptoms in admission was reported by 6 (46.2%) of the teams, and the smear microscopy was the most requested test. The Logbook of Respiratory Symptoms and the Logbook for Monitoring Tuberculosis Cases were used in 7 (53.8%) institutions. Two of them (15.4%) had a location for sputum collection and 1 (7.7%) had a radiographer. The Directly Observed Therapy was reported in 7 (53.8%) units. Health care actions related to the search for respiratory symptoms and Directly Observed Therapy should be expanded, as well as surveillance actions and recording in official documents of the National Tuberculosis Control Program.

Drugs exposure is making prison nurses ill

Drugs exposure is making prison nurses ill

Hepatitis C virus screening and treatment in Irish prisons from nurse managers\u2019 perspectives - a qualitative exploration

BackgroundPrisoners carry a greater burden of physical, communicable and psychiatric disease compared to the general population. Prison health care structures are complex and provide challenges and opportunities to engage a marginalised and poorly served group with health care including Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) screening, assessment and treatment. Optimising HCV management in prisons is a public health priority. Nurses are the primary healthcare providers in most prisons globally. Understanding the barriers and facilitators to prisoners engaging in HCV care from the perspectives of nurses is the first step in implementing effective strategies to eliminate HCV from prison settings. The aim of this study was to identify the barriers and facilitators to HCV screening and treatment in Irish prisons from a nurse perspective and inform the implementation of a national prison-based HCV screening program.MethodsA qualitative study using focus group methodology underpinned by grounded theory for analysis in a national group of nurse managers (n = 12).ResultsThe following themes emerged from the analysis; security and safety requirements impacting patient access, staffing and rostering issues, prison nurses’ skill set and concerns around phlebotomy, conflict between maintaining confidentiality and concerns for personal safety, peer workers, prisoners’ lack of knowledge, fear of treatment and stigma, inter-prison variations in prisoner health needs and health service delivery and priority, linkage to care, timing of screening and stability of prison life.ConclusionsPrison nurses are uniquely placed to identify barriers and facilitators to HCV screening and treatment in prisoners and inform changes to health care practice and policy that will optimise the public health opportunity that incarceration provides.

Prison Nurses' Professional Identity.

In the United Kingdom, health and justice services nurses are a diverse group working across a range of contexts and settings such as police custody, sexual assault referral centers, young offenders' institutes, and prisons and probation. Recruitment and retention to the specialist field of health and justice services nursing, specifically prison nursing, is problematic in the United Kingdom. In this article, we consider the background to the current situation in prison nursing and summarize some of the existing literature and research relating to this specialty to raise, for discussion and debate, issues that are pertinent to the concept of professional identity and professionalism. Role definition, resilience and burnout, and education within prison nursing are identified in relation to the development of professional identity. It could be that professional identity is the missing link to recruitment and retention.

The Relationship Between the Quality of Work and Organizational Commitment of Prison Nurses.

ABSTRACTBackground:Nurses working in prisons are exposed to security problems while serving those who may be uninterested in their own healthcare, face high risks of drug and alcohol addiction, and may have aggressive personalities. For this reason, nurses working in prisons may have more problems with work-related quality of life than their non-prison-nurse peers.Purpose:This descriptive research study was conducted to evaluate the work-related quality of life and organizational commitment of nurses who work at prisons and detention centers.Methods:According to 2015 data, approximately 513 nurses currently work in prisons in Turkey. The study group consisted of 224 nurses who currently work in prisons or detention centers. The data were collected by sending a created link address to the e-mail addresses of nurses who work in these facilities. A 13-item sociodemographic information form, including a demographics datasheet, a work-related quality of life scale, and an organizational commitment scale, was used to collect data.Results:The participants reported a moderate level of work-related quality of life and organizational commitment. Moreover, work-related quality of life was shown to affect organizational commitment, with 20% of the total variance in organizational commitment explained by work-related quality of life.Conclusions/Implications for Practice:This study supports that work-related quality of life affects organizational commitment positively. Therefore, regulating working conditions by taking into consideration employee security will positively affect job satisfaction in terms of both the institution and the employee. Moreover, as nurses do not only work in hospitals, taking this action should also work in different settings. Administrators should ensure the work-related quality of life of the prison nurses by understanding the difficulties of prison nursing.

Development of healthcare facility standards for Thai female inmates

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to develop and evaluate the Standards of Healthcare Facility for Thai Female Inmates (SHF-TFI) through healthcare service improvement.Design/methodology/approachThis research and quality improvement project was comprised of three phases. Surveying healthcare facilities and in-depth interviews with female inmates as well as prison nurses were employed in Phase I. Expert reviews and public hearing meetings were used for developing the SHF-TFI in Phase II. Satisfaction questionnaires, focus group interviews of the female inmates, and in-depth interviews with nurses and prison wardens were utilized to evaluate feasibility and effectiveness of SHF-TFI implementation in Phase III.FindingsThe SHF-TFI was elaborated in order to be more specific to the context of the correctional institutes and correspond with healthcare as to the needs of female inmates. It was divided into three main aspects: administrative standards, health service standards and outcome standards. After implementation, nurses reflected on the feasibility and benefits of the SHF-TFI on the organizations, inmates and nurses. The female inmates perceived remarkable improvement in the healthcare services including physical activity promotion and screening programs for non-communicable diseases, the physical environment and sufficiency of medical equipment. Moreover, the pregnant inmates and incarcerated mothers with children shared their views on better antenatal and child developmental care, as well as availability of baby supplies.Originality/valueThe findings support the feasibility and effectiveness of the SHF-TFI for quality care improvement and applicability of the Bangkok Rules in women’s correctional institutes.

Carole Robinson—Renal Home Therapies Nurse of the Year

This year's British Journal of Nursing awards featured a brand new category for nurses specialising in kidney care. The title of Renal Home Therapies Nurse of the Year was given to dialysis specialist Carole Robinson. Here, she talks about what the award means to her and discusses the extensive work she undertook with prison nurses leading up to this achievement.

Prison nursing: legal framework and care reality.

Penitentiary Nursing has experienced during the last decades a deep transformation similar to that experienced by the rest of the Nursing. However, there is a great distance from the protective legislation. To analyze the main legal documents which regulate the functions of Penitentiary Nursing and to compare it with the health care reality of nurses in Spanish prisons. Narrative bibliographic review based on various sources such as Medline, Cuiden, Scielo, Dialnet, etc. Is selected 43 documents, due to its relevance with the theme object of study. Is rejected 4 articles for lack of the same. Analyzed documents regarding legal framework and functions of nursing in prisons in its different sections (health care, teaching, research and management). The functions currently carried out in prisons are the ones provided for by health care legislation outside the prison context, along with the internal administrative regulations established by prisons. The possibility should be reconsidered of integrating Prison Healthcare into the Public Healthcare System so as to guarantee equality of healthcare for persons deprived of liberty and to provide the same rights and obligations to health professionals working in this sector.

Methods used to tackle obesity in the prison population

This study aimed to improve understanding of addressing obesity in prison by investigating prison nurses’ perceptions of weight gain and obesity and their role in addressing it.

The value of doing your best.

Claire Matata is lead nurse for emergency and acute clinical research at Northumbria Specialist Emergency Care Hospital. She completed her degree in adult nursing at the University of Liverpool in 2010, and has worked in thoracic surgery, community and prison nursing and as a specialist research nurse and senior clinician in urgent care. In 2015, she spent three months in Sierra Leone during the Ebola crisis.

Nurses' Perceptions of Weight Gain and Obesity in the Prison Environment.

This study aimed to improve understanding of obesity in prison by investigating prison nurses' perceptions of weight gain and obesity. In-depth semistructured interviews were carried out with 17 nurses who worked in two male prisons in the United Kingdom. Nurses identified a variety of factors that they believed contributed to obesity and weight gain in the prison setting. These included factors caused by prisoner behavior, such as poor food choices and sedentary lifestyle. Factors influenced by the prison environment, such as stress of imprisonment, prison regime, and prison culture, were also seen as significant. These factors were seen as barriers to the role of nurses delivering care in prison. Nurses explained how they adapted their role to overcome these barriers.

Prison Nursing: Formation of a Stable Professional Identity.

The aim of this study was to analyze how working within prison environments can influence the self-identity and professional identity of nurses. The prison environment can be a difficult environment for nurses to deliver care within, with nurses having to carry out activities that seem to go against their professional role, while at the same time providing care to prisoners who have greater health needs than the general population. There is a lack of theoretical consideration of how prison nurses carry out their role in the face of such challenges. This study used a review of literature published over the last 11 years exploring nurses' beliefs, thoughts, and feelings toward delivering care within prison environment. With time, nurses working within prison environments develop specific skills to be able to deliver appropriate care to their patients. These skills include adapting to both the prison environment and the prison culture. Ultimately, adaptations lead to a change in identity allowing nurses to work effectively within prison. Providers of prison healthcare should ensure that induction (orientation) processes for new nurses are designed to address specific challenges that nurses face including the potential for cognitive dissonance. They should ensure that nurses receive training to develop and acquire the skills highlighted in this review. Ensuring that this training is in place may increase nurse retention.

Morale at 'all-time low' for nurses in Scottish prisons.

There are 'significant concerns' about morale, recruitment and work pressures in the nursing workforce in Scottish prisons, an RCN Scotland report has warned.