Being a Jail Nurse

I often get asked "What do jail nurses do anyway?" Usually with a tone of total disdain. Implying that I must be an inferior nurse as I work in a jail. I obviously don't see it that way. I see my job as a cross between urgent care and a clinic, with some trauma thrown in for good measure. I do not deal with the nicest of patients but I also don't have to tolerate much crap. I have a guard with me and I can terminate a visit at any time. During any work day I can see a variety of things, complaints of colds, drug withdrawals, wound care, suicide attempts, and many many psychiatric visits. Many of our Inmates do not have routine access to health care, or they have mental illness and are unable to navigate the system for themselves. When they come to us they are sick and need a lot of care. This is the part of my job that is worth it. I feel like I am making a difference, patient education is huge for a population that may have not seen any medical care for years. The other part, the drug seekers, the entitled and rude, they are another story all together. Unfortunately those that need the least care complain the most and often are the ones taking the most resources. This is where one must be a strong nurse, you can no longer believe a patient. You must heavily rely on your own assessment. I never imagined in nursing school I would have a patient fake a seizure or an asthma attack just to get medications. We try our best to triage and help those actually in need. However, often we spend a lot of time doing unnecessary care only to avoid a lawsuit later. Many days I leave work exhausted and mentally drained, not unlike most jobs. The part I struggle with is seeing the worst side of humanity for so much of the day, I try to find that one person who I feel I actually helped and focus on that. I have to believe that what I do is good.