Do you love:
Yes! Consider the opportunity to work as a nurse at one of our prisons.
There are twenty prisons around the country, where prisoners' health needs are managed by teams of nurses. Seventeen of the prisons are for men and three for women. In total they accommodate approximately 9,000 prisoners.
Health services are delivered from a Health Centre at each prison, with the support of Corrections Officers, who work together with the Registered Nurses to meet the health needs of the prisoner community.
Nurses are responsible for providing a full range of primary health services, at the level equivalent to that available in the community, to a diverse group in terms of culture, age and gender.
Where are the prisons located?
We have twenty prisons, located across New Zealand in both rural and city settings. Please view the link of a map of the locations of our prisons to assist you in determining where our current job opportunities are situated. http://www.corrections.govt.nz/about-us/prisons.html
What is it like to be a Nurse at a Prison?
Being a Registered Nurse at one of the Prisons is not only about providing a wide range of health care; Registered Nurses also play an active part in offenders' rehabilitation, focusing on their health and wellbeing, and make a very real contribution to Prison Services' goal to reduce re-offending, through rehabilitation.
Registered Nurses employed within prisons possess a high degree of personal responsibility, a mature outlook on life, common sense, a caring attitude, the ability and willingness to be a team player, are honest and have integrity. Above all, they are professional, a person who takes pride in their role and appreciates the importance of making a difference in prisoners lives.
Working as a nurse in a prison setting is a highly skilled and challenging role, providing a full range of primary health care services. Prisoners often arrive with poor health, so nurses see a vast array of health issues. On a day-to-day basis cardiovascular and respiratory problems, infections, mental health disorder's, drug and alcohol issues, and accidents and emergencies may be treated by nurses.
What is it like to work in our team?
Our Health Centre teams consist of:
Registered Nurses work with external contracted providers, including Medical Officers (GPs), dentists, and a range of secondary and tertiary health providers such as Physiotherapists, Forensic Mental Health teams and Hospitals.
How does Health Services operate within the prison?
All prisoners are seen on arrival at prison and their health needs assessed. Nurses work with the prisoner to manage identified health issues. This may include medication administration, treatments for a range of conditions, liaising with other health professionals, referral to other services, health education and health promotion. In addition nurses provide an emergency response to medical or accident emergencies.
Prisoners may self refer to Health Services by way of a written form which the nurse receives and then triages to ensure the most appropriate intervention is offered. This system supports nurses to maintain effective assessment skills.
Nurses are based within the Health Centre where much of the care they provide is delivered. They also attend the prison units to administer medication or provide other interventions. In addition on many sites there are nurse led clinics which are established and managed by nurses. This provides opportunities for nurses to develop particular areas of skill, e.g. management of diabetes.
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