Nurse (Correctional Facility) (36 Hour)

State of Connecticut•Bridgeport, CT

3d•Onsite

About The Position

The Connecticut Department of Correction (DOC) is seeking Registered Nurses to join their team in various facility locations across the state. This is a Hazardous Duty Position offering a pension plan through the State Employees Retirement System Tier IV, allowing retirement after 25 years of service. The role involves providing professional nursing and/or mental health care to inmates, assisting in their rehabilitation, and performing targeted infection control services. The DOC emphasizes progressive correctional practices and partnered re-entry initiatives, prioritizing safety and security for staff, victims, citizens, and offenders.

Requirements

Graduation from an accredited nursing program.
Possess and retain a current license or temporary permit as a Registered Nurse in Connecticut OR hold a Multistate or Compact Registered Nurse license.
Knowledge of and ability to apply professional nursing theory, practice, and ethics.
Knowledge of current medications, their actions, interactions, uses, and side effects.
Knowledge of medical, therapeutic, and psychiatric nursing interventions and methods.
Ability to apply quality standards, procedures, and protocols.
Sensitivity to cultural and socio-economic differences.
Knowledge of teaching, counseling, and evaluation principles and techniques.
Interpersonal skills.
Oral and written communication skills.
Ability to act as a role model to health care staff by demonstrating and teaching professional behaviors.
Ability to learn specialized inmate care applicable to work assignment.
Ability to listen and provide empathetic assistance to inmates in meeting their needs and carrying out prescribed treatments.
Ability to develop therapeutic relationships with inmates and their caregivers.
Ability to respond to emergencies.
Ability to respond to and seek supervision.
Ability to encourage and facilitate cooperation, pride, trust, and group identity to foster commitment and teamwork.
Ability to analyze and evaluate proper care and treatment.
Ability to interview.
Ability to develop curricula.
Must possess general good health and retain sufficient stamina, agility, and visual and auditory acuity necessary to perform all duties of the class.
Must pass a physical examination.

Nice To Haves

Experience working with adolescents or in women's health or mental health care.
Fluency in a foreign language or proficiency in the use of American Sign Language in certain designated positions.
Possess and retain a valid Motor Vehicle Operator’s license.
Travel may be required.

Responsibilities

Independently assess patients, develop a nursing diagnosis, implement a treatment plan, and provide patient education and self-care through the nursing sick call process.
Perform health screenings and make triage decisions contributing to the health and safety of patients.
Collaborate with multiple disciplines: custody, medical, mental health, dental, and other health care support professionals.
Play a key role in the identification, treatment, and control of the transmission of infections.
Provide nursing care to special populations such as women's health, juvenile health, end-of-life care, mental health, and infirmary care.
Participate in a multidisciplinary team in providing chronic disease management by coordinating and managing chronic disease care.
Advance quality, patient safety, and a culture of safety by volunteering as a nurse educator, preceptor, and participating in facility-based quality and best practices committees.
Respond and participate in emergency care delivery.
Perform related duties as required.
Independently implement infection control services with inmates.
Perform infection control assessments.
Provide infection prevention and control education and training to inmates.
Conduct health record chart reviews.
Review tracking systems for HIV, TB, and other infectious diseases.
Monitor incidences of infections including TB, MRSA, and other infectious diseases.
Analyze trends over time and across the system.
Assess inmates for knowledge of infection control and prevention.
Identify inmates nearing re-entry date for participation in re-entry infection prevention education programs.
Identify community-based infection prevention resources.
Develop informational materials about community-based programs and disseminate to the re-entry population.
Maintain records and make reports.
May develop infection prevention curriculum and educational material for inmate education.
May physically restrain inmates, quell disturbances, and otherwise assist mental health and correctional staff in emergencies.