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The Correctional Healthcare Patient and Environment

Have you just discovered the hidden healthcare practice setting of jails and prisons? Maybe you responded to an employment notice or met a nurse working in a local facility. Or, you may be preparing for an interview or your first day of work on a temporary assignment at a state prison. Many nurses and others in healthcare are not even aware of the interesting and challenging field of correctional healthcare. This online healthcare course provides an understanding of the correctional healthcare environment and characteristics of the patient population. In just one short hour you will gain insight into the criminal justice system and what makes correctional healthcare special.

This is a video-style course with text content located at the end of the chapter.

Questions? Check out our FAQs page and How Online IV Certification Works!

Objectives

Upon completeion of this course, participants will be able to:

Differentiate the various types of correctional settings in the US.
Outline common characteristics of the inmate-patient population that affect healthcare delivery.
Describe major physical and mental health care issues in the inmate-patient population.

Curriculum

Chapter 1: Overview of the Criminal Justice System

Detained vs. Sentenced
Jail vs. Prison
County, State, Federal
Security Levels and Housing Classifications

Chapter 2: Types of Healthcare Delivery

Self-Operated vs. Independent Healthcare Services
Working with Custody in a Secure Environment
General Categories of Healthcare provided

Chapter 3: Patient Demographics

Age
Gender
Race/ethnicity
Education

Chapter 4: Physical Health Concerns

Chronic Illness
Infectious Diseases

Chapter 5: Mental Health Concerns and Summary

Mental Illness
Traumatic Brain Injury/PTSD
Drug/Alcohol/Tobacco Use
Suicidality

Chapter 6: Text Content

Chapter 7: References

California Bill 241
Implicit Bias in Healthcare
What is Implicit Bias?
Implications of Implicit Bias in Healthcare
How to Reduce Implicit Bias

Price: $12.00

Contact Hour: 1

Course Author

Lorry Schoenly

Lorry Schoenly, PhD, RN, CCHP-RN is a nurse author and educator specializing in the field of correctional health care. She provides consulting services to jails and prisons across the country on projects to improve professional nursing practice and patient safety.

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Course Accreditation

See our Accreditation Statements page to view our accreditation information.