I pretty much hit the ground running. Two days of observations and I was participating on the floor after that. Right now I’m fighting a losing battle with boredom. It’s Sunday, and we’ve completed our tasks for the day. The rest of the schedule will be med passes.
In summary:
I’ve been caring for 3 different people with wounds. Healing abscesses from IV drug use, an open finger wound from a pus-filled abscess, and a packed wound from an open abscess as a result of IV drug use. Wound care was one of my biggest fears. I’ve only observed wound care in the clinical setting. But it was simpler than I had imagined. To break it down, you simply clean the wound(betadine, saline, NEVER alcohol), then dress it(antibiotic ointment, saline, gauze, tegaderm, bandaid) following the clean technique unless it is something that requires sterile care. In this environment, sterile fields are not possible/necessary.
I am documenting heavily. Everything I do is written down. I’m using the proper terms to describe wound discharge. So far, so good.
Med pass is easy. Three way checks are the textbook way to go, but when completing a 60+ person medpass, the ID, drug name, and dose is pretty much all I have time for. When I drop a med, or if a patient drops a med, I just grab another dose.
A lot of my confusion comes from paperwork. Where to file sick call sheets, refusal of treatment sheets, etc. Counting inventory is also something to get used to. What time to count, who is going to count. Sharps management is pretty important here.
I absorb a lot of information from talking to patients during sick calls. Many are anxious and suffering from the somatic manifestations of it. Some have chronic health concerns. Some are severely dehydrated because the tap water is less than ideal to put it nicely.
Every day I exercise my strengths which include communication, teamwork, and humor. It is important that the Correctional Officers are able to work with you. They are there to maintain custody of the inmates, and protect you. Medical is here to maintain the comfort and well being of the inmates during their stay(some a few days, others weeks, months, years.) It is equally as important for the medical team to work together. We must support each other when making decisive actions regarding inmate care. Any situations that result in “staff-splitting” can have long term effects on working relationships.
Within every interaction, there is an opportunity for manipulation, and use of survival tactics. I expect it. People are not their best self in jail. People lie, steal, cheat. The people here are often at the bottom of Maslow’s Hierarchy. People are not their best self when in survival mode, and their basic needs are just barely met. I don’t know who I would become in jail. I suppose I would also look for ways to escape reality, acquire resources, and achieve a sense of gratification.
I don’t blame them, even if they’re in here for first degree murder. I’m not here to place judgement. Just caring for people who need it.
araw araw 