Nursing Commons^™

Correctional Nurse Competency And Quality Care Outcomes, Deborah Shelton, Bill Barta, Louise A. Reagan

Journal for Evidence-based Practice in Correctional Health

Purpose: In this paper, we report on the clinical care outcomes resulting from implementing a nurse competency education intervention to a nursing staff in a statewide correctional system. Background: State correctional healthcare systems face ongoing and serious challenges attracting and retaining an adequate number of qualified health professionals owing to the perceived undesirability of working in correctional facilities; high occupational stressors; and the effects of high turnover on the workloads of remaining nursing staff.

Methods: Nursing outcomes were evaluated on four most frequently used nursing protocols. The education intervention consisted of self-directed computer-based modules, hands-on clinical review of skills, and …