A correctional nurse cares for patients who are incarcerated in the prison system or who have been recently released. They can work in prisons or juvenile detention centers with an entire inmate population, in a hospital prison unit, or in a halfway house. While this nursing specialty may sound untraditional – or even frightening – many nurses find correctional nursing to be professionally challenging and rewarding.
Correctional nurses work in shifts, but many facilities don’t require 24-hour staffing, so evenings and weekends are often free. Incarcerated patients’ ages range from teenagers to older adults, and the types of injuries and illnesses seen will vary by age. Correctional nurses treat injuries and chronic illnesses but also promote preventative care.
Where Do Correctional Nurses Work?
Correctional nurses work with current and former inmates in several settings:
Group homes
Halfway houses
Hospital prison units
Juvenile detention facilities
Prisons
In prisons, nurses work in the prison clinic, which may have an exam room or two. Sometimes prisons are equipped with a couple of hospital beds and supplies for low-acuity patient care. If the prison houses a lower-security population, correctional nurses may also visit patients in their cells to provide care.
Juvenile detention facilities hold minors not yet able to enter the mainstream correctional system. These facilities’ medical amenities closely resemble a prison’s, and nurses who staff them treat anything from injuries and infectious diseases to mental health conditions.
When a prisoner becomes too ill to receive treatment at their detention center, they can be transferred to a hospital for surgery or other medical intervention. They may go to a general hospital floor under guard, or they can be admitted to a hospital prison unit. These units are locked down and staffed with guards, much like prison cell blocks. Once a patient stabilizes, they can be transferred back to prison.
After inmates are released, they may move into a halfway house or a group home, which usually employs nurses at least part-time. These nurses treat patients in the home, providing medical care, education, and health counseling.
What Does a Correctional Nurse Do?
Correctional nurses may be part of an inmate’s initial assessment and inspection as they enter the prison for the first time. They work under a physician or nurse practitioner to treat any medical issue that comes up. When emergencies arise, correctional nurses work to treat injuries and assess the need for a higher level of care. Some common correctional nursing responsibilities can also include:
Educating inmates on preventative healthcare
Emergency resuscitation
Head-to-toe assessment
Insertion and maintenance of foley catheters
IV insertion and management
Laboratory sample collection of blood and other bodily fluids
Medication adherence monitoring
Medication administration
Performing health screenings
Promoting healthy lifestyle choices
Providing education on substance abuse
Vital signs monitoring
A corrections nurse at a halfway house or group home may spend more time teaching preventative care than doing hands-on nursing tasks, but each job holds importance. Correctional nurses have the opportunity to care for a marginalized group of people and advocate for their health when no one else will.
How Do I Become a Correctional Nurse?
For those who want to become correctional nurses, the first step is to attend and graduate from an accredited nursing program with a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) certification, an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN), or a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN). After graduating, nurses can work in health settings as graduate nurses (GNs). Prison systems may hire nurses as GNs and train them until they pass the NCLEX, their state licensing exam. After they pass the NCLEX, GNs become registered nurses (RNs), and after their orientation period, can practice nursing on their own.
After gaining experience, correctional nurses can earn a specialty certification, or go back to school for an advanced practice degree to become a nurse practitioner (NP). Correctional nurses can earn a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) and become nurse practitioners. Nurses can graduate with an MSN in two years but it may take longer to complete this degree while working full-time.
The American Correctional Association (ACA) offers the Certified Corrections Nurse (CCN) which requires applicants to have a valid RN or LPN license and one year of correctional experience at their current position. They also offer a Certified Corrections Nurse Manager credential for nurses who have worked at least a year in correction health management.
How Much Does a Correctional Nurse Make Per Year?
The annual salary of a correctional nurse depends on a few factors. Registered nurses make an average of $81,220 per year as of 2022, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Salary can differ by location and experience, from the low-end average of $61,250 to the high-end of $129,400.
Licensed practical nurses, however, may earn a little less, with an average salary closer to $55,860. Depending on location, an LPN can earn anywhere from $40,490 to $72,650. Location also contributes to pay rate: the west coast and Northeast pay nurses the highest salaries, but they also have a higher cost of living. The lowest paying states are in the Midwest and some southeastern states.
Correctional nurse practitioners earn more annually than RNs, with an average salary of $121,610, according to BLS data from 2022. Their low-end average was $87,340, and the high-end was $165,240. Compensation can also change based on location, with differences similar to RNs.
The top paying areas for correctional nurses and nurse practitioners include:
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA
Napa, CA
Vallejo-Fairfield, CA
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ
Yuba City, CA
Sacramento-Roseville-Arden-Arcade, CA
Correctional nurses who earn a specialty certification can earn higher salaries than nurses who are not certified. In general, experience equals higher pay.
Are Correctional Nurses in High Demand?
The National Institute of Corrections reports that the prison population has exploded since 1970, with numbers quadrupling in the last four decades. Inmates are also aging, and with age comes more medical conditions and comorbidities. Even though safeguards abound, correctional nursing has historically been considered with wide-eyed trepidation, and many nurses don’t feel safe or equipped to work in that environment. As a result, correctional nurses are always in high demand.
The nursing shortage in the United States reaches beyond prisons. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reports 24% of U.S. hospitals have reported critical staffing shortages. Correctional nurses should have plenty of opportunities for some time to come.
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