National Nurses United

C A L I F O R N I A N U R S E J U L Y / A U G U S T 2 0 0 5 39 agencies must be established and enforced without sacrificing patient care or pa- tients' rights. Prevent encroachment on correction- al nursing practice by increasing aware- ness among correctional RNs about those aspects of nursing practice which may only be performed by registered nurses. A. PATIENT ADVOCACY In order for RNs to survive in corrections in the current shortage, strong enforce- ment and support in its primary role as patient advocate in all arenas is needed. The environment itself requires the RN be educated as to the nurses' legal role and obligations in addition to a primary role as patient advocate and caregiver. RNs must not combine custody func- tions that compromise the RN role as pa- tient advocate and competent provider of safe, therapeutic, and effective patient care. 1. Legislative and Regulatory: Priori- tize issues in correctional nursing that most urgently require legislative/regula- tory change to assure safe, therapeutic, and effective delivery of patient care. Continue to develop, support, and monitor legislation and regulations af- fecting correctional nursing, and support for the development of independent nurs- ing practice. Monitor and lobby the budget process on budget issues that directly impact ac- cess to correctional nursing care and the patient advocacy role of the correctional nurse. In coalition with other labor and out- side advocacy organizations, monitor and support universal access to health- care efforts and government social re- sponsibility on extending healthcare as a right. Oppose any political process that changes the role of the correctional RN to enforcement of security personnel's pur- poses that violate patient's rights. 2. Statewide Correctional Nurses Ad- vocacy Group: CNA is to create a statewide Correctional Nurses Advocacy Group composed of correctional nurses. Perform ongoing outreach to and ed- ucation of the public and communities about correctional health needs and the role of the correctional health nurse. Monitor legislation concerning social and political issues that affect correctional health. Establish and educate local Profes- sional Practice Committees (PPCs) and other correctional nursing practice or- ganizations so that they can monitor and advocate at the county and state level about issues that affect correctional nurs- ing and the health of incarcerated indi- viduals. Establish a system linking state, county adult, and juvenile Correctional Nursing Advocacy Groups to effectively coordinate response to correctional nurs- ing needs. Recommend that CNA act at the city, county, state, and federal levels to rebuild correctional nursing to be able to deliver safe, therapeutic and effective nursing care. B. CORRECTIONAL NURSING PRACTICE Support and promote efforts to utilize correctional RNs as the care provider re- sponsible for initial and ongoing assess- ment, case management, and evaluation of correctional health services. Expand correctional RNs participa- tion in serving on multidisciplinary teams dealing with other health disciplines and law enforcement/custody personnel. Increase correctional nursing partic- ipation in evaluation needs of the incar- cerated population and their re-entry into the community. Preserve and protect correctional nursing as a necessary and critical com- ponent of any correctional facility. Require correctional RNs to identify themselves by title. C. CORRECTIONAL NURSING COMPETENCIES Continue to promote correctional nursing curriculum around the state by increas- ing access and funding and establishing correctional nursing curriculum in col- leges and universities. Increase community outreach efforts by correctional RNs. Encourage correctional health facili- ties to develop clinical experience oppor- tunities for all nursing students seeking to work in corrections as a unique nursing specialty. D. PUBLIC EDUCATION Educate the public, as well as the nursing community, about effective correctional nursing services including the impact of correctional nursing functions and prac- tice. Invite the public to participate in issue identification and solution discus- sions surrounding the delivery of nursing care in correctional facilities. E. COLLECTIVE BARGAINING Educate correctional RNs that collective bargaining is a powerful vehicle to con- trolling practice and protecting safe care. Develop strategies for enhanced in- ternal organizing of correctional RNs in CNA contract facilities. Promote involvement/participation of correctional RNs in the collective bar- gaining process. In May 2005 the CNA Board of Di- rectors adopted the Correctional Nursing Task Force Report, and ap- proved the creation of a Statewide Correctional Nurses Advocacy Group. We are recruiting correctional nurses from all the counties we represent to actively participate in this historic and unprecedented advocacy group. If you are interested, please contact the Nursing Practice Program at (510) 273-2250. Correctional nursing must separate from the legitimate functions and needs of corrections personnel in order to serve the legitimate purposes of nursing. Clear identification of the boundaries between collaboration with other disciplines and agencies must be established and enforced without sacrificing patient care or patients' rights.

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