I work in healthcare in a notorious men's prison. AMA

[TexasTyson]

People generally find my job interesting and have a load of questions.

I'm a paramedic and I've given up working on the road (I.e. on ambulances) to work in a men's prison.

6 weeks for punching a copper

I couldn't possibly comment.

I'm interested that it's a pattern. Makes you wonder why. Though I can guess...

Yes. Me too. :-(

What kind of hours do you work? My DD is a ward sister at the moment, but with very young children, she's finding the long days really hard to cover, and she has a long commute. There's a huge new prison just a few minutes from where she lives, so I wondered if nursing there might be an option.

Also do you have NHS salary and conditions?

I have a DC with CF who would like to know how nebs, physio and creon which isn’t taken at set times but with food (Presumably prisoners aren't having to hunt for stock.) are managed in prison. What about those tube fed? Not that DC is planning a stay!

I do 0730-0730. When I first started I had another job (frontline ambulance work) so I was bank and worked a couple of shifts a month. I liked it so much that after about 10 months I went substantive. The bank pay was £6 more an hour then NHS wage.

My prison isn't NHS but the company is a big one and has excellent benefits. The salary is equivalent to the top of the relevant pay band. I went straight to top of B6 equivalent.

That's a great question and I can't really answer it as I've never come across a patient with CF in prison! I imagine it would be catered for though. Some kind of specialist Pathway. We do have a secure hospital ward. Possibly other prisons have bigger ones and are better equipped for specialist cases- which may well explain why I've not come across it.

I know there is one prison in the UK where all inmates are over 55, and they have specialist facilities.

Saying that, as long as you meet the right criteria you can have your medication in possession on your cell, so I guess that would solve the timing issue.

Thanks. So similar hours really. But it is on her doorstep. Interesting that bank work is available though. She's thinking of changing to bank anyway, dvd it might be a good way in.

Is it true that there is a huge issue with undiagnosed and unsupported ADHD and autism in the prison population?

What sort of screening etc is done as a matter of course?

Also literacy - is there need for a programme?

I can only speak for the organisation I work for, but we have loads of part time staff. Some people have 2 or 3 jobs!

I do love it though, I really recommend it.

Thanks so much! Someone she trained with also does prison nursing and loves it, but DD has been hesitant. I'll pass this info on! Would you mind PMing me the company that employs you? No worries if you'd rather not though.

We have an an ADHD clinic that inmates can self refer to or be referred by us. There is also an area of the prison where most of the inmates have autism or SEN and the officers in that part have specialist training.

Every prisoner sees a nurse and sometimes a GP at reception on their way in. There is also a secondary screening and a mental health screening on day 2. These are followed up depending on what is found.

I don't know about literacy I'm afraid, that's the remit of the Education department. It is a question on the initial health screening though so I imagine they are referred to Education if they want to be. I don't do the reception screening though.

My friend worked in A male prison as a nurse…she said the smell was overpowering …..like a great big hamster cage smell….do you find this?

Thank you for replying. DC asked the question a few years ago. I couldn’t answer and neither could the specialist nurse.

Mostly it smells of musty bedroom smell where blokes have been sweaty and the sheets need changing.
It's kept well cleaned though.

It's a really interesting question!

If I worked in healthcare in a prison I would not be gossiping about it on Mumsnet, any more than I would in a GP practice. It seems a bit off to me.

I’m a nurse. It’s fine to have conversations like this. The OP isn’t identifying where she works or anything about specific prisoners. I’m learning a lot. There’s nothing ‘off’ whatsoever about this thread

PPG?

what is off about it? No disclosures or breaches of confidence🤷‍♀️

There are hundreds of Gp practices . Only a few notorious men's prisons.

is rehab/prison script on your book or seperate ?

I'm not gossiping, I've said nothing salubrious and nothing that wouldn't be shown in a documentary.

The detox unit is on one of the prison wings.