The role of correctional nurses in federal prisons is one of great importance. In 2010, there were over 700 nurses employed by the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) (Canadian Nurses Association, 2010). Most of these nurses were the primary health care providers for the majority of the 23,062 inmates incarcerated in one of the 53 federal penitentiaries in Canada, representing 0.081 percent of the Canadian population (Reitano, 2016). The most prevalent health issue in Canadian federal prisons is drug and alcohol abuse. Reitano (2016) reported that almost 70 percent of federal inmates are diagnosed with a substance abuse problem that requires medical attention and rehabilitation services. The role of correctional nurses is important because
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229), according to Ramaswamy and Freudenberg (2007) in chapter 13 of the book Public Health Behind Bars: From Prisons to Communities. The information that is presented in this book is reputable because the authors support their book by looking at sources that are reliable and evidence-based. The authors of this chapter, Megha Ramaswamy, a Master of Public Health, and Dr. Nicholas Freudenberg, a professor of Urban Health, discuss the various health promotion methods that nurses use in federal prisons to improve the health of the inmates. These authors state that these methods will give the inmates the information that they need in order to live healthy lives when they are released, thus contributing to the health of the general public (2007). One of the fundamental health promotion methods discussed by Ramaswamy and Freudenberg (2007) is counseling, which is interacting with individual inmates or small groups of inmates. Counseling provides the inmates with guidance, emotional support and valuable information that allows them to improve their overall health (Ramaswamy and Freudenberg, 2007). According to Ramaswamy and Freudenberg (2016), another widely used method of health promotion is advocacy, which is facilitating certain activities that will allow inmates to maintain healthy lives both in prison and upon re-entry into the community. A limitation …show more content…
The roles of a correctional nurse include health promotion, clinical decision-making, rehabilitation and collaboration with other prison staff. Some of the methods that correctional nurses use to promote health are counselling and advocacy. One of the ways that correctional nurses advocate for inmates is by implementing substance abuse interventions in prisons. Although the role of a correctional nurse is challenging, it is one that has a very positive and profound impact on the mental and physical health of inmates in federal
229), according to Ramaswamy and Freudenberg (2007) in chapter 13 of the book Public Health Behind Bars: From Prisons to Communities. The information that is presented in this book is reputable because the authors support their book by looking at sources that are reliable and evidence-based. The authors of this chapter, Megha Ramaswamy, a Master of Public Health, and Dr. Nicholas Freudenberg, a professor of Urban Health, discuss the various health promotion methods that nurses use in federal prisons to improve the health of the inmates. These authors state that these methods will give the inmates the information that they need in order to live healthy lives when they are released, thus contributing to the health of the general public (2007). One of the fundamental health promotion methods discussed by Ramaswamy and Freudenberg (2007) is counseling, which is interacting with individual inmates or small groups of inmates. Counseling provides the inmates with guidance, emotional support and valuable information that allows them to improve their overall health (Ramaswamy and Freudenberg, 2007). According to Ramaswamy and Freudenberg (2016), another widely used method of health promotion is advocacy, which is facilitating certain activities that will allow inmates to maintain healthy lives both in prison and upon re-entry into the community. A limitation …show more content…
The roles of a correctional nurse include health promotion, clinical decision-making, rehabilitation and collaboration with other prison staff. Some of the methods that correctional nurses use to promote health are counselling and advocacy. One of the ways that correctional nurses advocate for inmates is by implementing substance abuse interventions in prisons. Although the role of a correctional nurse is challenging, it is one that has a very positive and profound impact on the mental and physical health of inmates in federal