To think working in a prison might be fun?

[SmashAgainstTheMachine]

Have a job interview next week for prison nurse. Everyone I have spoken to that has done this job has really enjoyed it and I think I will too. Family however think I'm mad and shouldn't go ahead with it.

It's a catagory B prison for men.

Oh - my mum spent a short time as a prison officer and a friend's prison officer father killed himself. Not good.

I've been into a lot of prisons (for work!), and no way would I want to work in one. Seriously understaffed, underpaid, dangerous bloody jobs for everyone on the staff.

Massive respect to the poster above who is an Officer.

Totally agree with the 100% on your guard at all times comment.

I'd ask why the last nurse left.

DH is PSCO and he adores it. No day is the same and he has made some great friends.

Don't get me wrong, its a difficult and dangerous job. DH has been assaulted numerous times but he has also saved a number of men from dying and helped drug and alcohol addicted offenders break their habits.

I used to work in a prison and loved it, I didn't work in direct contact with the inmates other than walking around but I really enjoyed my job

They ideally want to recruit people to work in the prison system who have life experience and are emotionally intelligent. Even saying that it's not for everyone. If you have a no nonsense personality, you should be fine. But you thinking it's fun to work within the prison system as a nursing professional would concern me. Good luck anyway though.

I've worked as admin in healthcare in a men's category B prison, slightly different role to the one you're applying for but in a similar area. It's mentally draining, it's emotionally testing and you have to be on your guard 100% of the time, even with inmates who seem nice and genuine. The only part I would describe as 'fun' is the physical training for keyholders, where you learn how to push, punch and kick and then you get to try out your new skills on an officer dressed head to toe in padding. The knowledge that you're being taught those skills to potentially save your life is sobering though.

If you find working in healthcare rewarding and you can cope with providing professional medical treatment to someone serving a 99 year tariff for sexual offences against children or someone who has just tried to slash his own throat with a razor, then go for it.

Thanks Fairy

It is not fun. It is a soul destroying job which sucks all the fun out of you.

hth

A frind of mine took the job because she thought it would be interesting. Instead she has found herself trapped because she's out of touch with nursing outside of the prison environment. She does a huge amount of doling out pharmacy items.

The prisoners are depressing, either because you feel sorry for them, scared of them or revolted by them.

I've worked in prisons and it always leaves me finding the outside world different...sullied and full of doubt because of spending time with lying devious criminals.

How do you feel about people who will cover themselves in their own shit just to present the officers with a challenge in dealing with them?

Distrust becomes second nature.

I've worked in prisons from a different perspective and you thinking this would be fun sets alarm bells ringing for me. Would a flirtation with a prisoner be fun too and lead you down a very very dangerous path? You need to be serious about this and go into it with both eyes open. You seem a bit flippant tbh.

I worked as a MH nurse in medium secure forensics for 5 years. While I saw and experienced some pretty scary stuff it was not a bad job. The level of risk meant the staff were a close and supportive team. I learnt a lot and it made me into a stronger person.

That said, I left after witnessing a stabbing of a colleague while I was heavily pregnant. After weighing the risk of my baby loosing her mum I decided to work in a job I liked less that was safer.