Teaching Nursing Students to Care for Patients Who Are Inmates

Ashton, Kathleen S. PhD, RN, CNE

Dr. Ashton is Assistant Professor, Duke University School of Nursing, Durham, North Carolina.

The author has disclosed no potential conflicts of interest, financial or otherwise.

Address correspondence to Kathleen S. Ashton, PhD, RN, CNE, Assistant Professor, Duke University School of Nursing, Box 3322, 307 Trent Drive, Durham, NC 27710; e-mail: [email protected].

Received March 10, 2017

Accepted May 01, 2017

Journal of Nursing Education 56(11):p 655-659, November 01, 2017. | DOI: 10.3928/01484834-20171020-04

Background:

Inmates in federal or state correctional facilities or those who are under the custody of local law enforcement officials receive health care in acute care settings, and caring for these inmate-patients is difficult for many nurses. Nurse educators should teach nursing students that nurses care for all patients in all situations with respect for a person's inherent dignity and worth.

Method:

Information from relevant nursing publications was synthesized to provide nurse educators with content that can be useful when teaching nursing students to care for inmate-patients in acute care settings. A case study is provided as a teaching strategy for nurse educators.

Results:

Respect, care, and concern are expressed differently when nurses care for inmate-patients in acute care settings.

Conclusion:

Nurse educators are responsible to teach nursing students how professional nurses should respond to patients, especially in situations that many nurses find challenging. [J Nurs Educ. 2017;56(11):655–659.]