Happy Nurses Week-A Message from the President

Celebrating Correctional Nurses

This week we celebrate National Nurses Week, beginning May 6-12, 2024. This year’s theme is Nurses’ Making A Difference. Indeed, correctional nurses have long been effective in making a difference and improving lives.

We celebrate every day the incredible nurses who embody the spirit of compassion and care demonstrated by correctional nurses. The right of justice involved person to access health care has been federally mandated for around fifty-eight years, and yet ensuring health care access remains fragmented and is dependent on the philosophy and culture of the individual jails and prisons. Correctional nurses indeed have influence, starting with access to care. It is the nurse who does the initial receiving screening and performs the health care intake. Patient assessment, obtaining medical history and previous medical record reviews are often initiated by the nurse. Forming the first assessment and plan of care begins with the nurse. Indeed, the correctional nurse Makes the Difference.

Nursing’s impact on the delivery of quality health care is visible throughout the correctional experience, whether it is medication administration, sick call, triage of health request or responding to emergencies on the housing unit it is the nurse, who Makes the Difference.

Correctional nurses are uniquely positioned to have a significant impact and contribute positively to the health of justice individuals. Our knowledge, professional practice, skills, critical thinking, problem-solving, teaching and compassion translate to improved health outcomes, and yes, Make The Difference.

In preparing my message I went to the literature to ask how correctional nurses are celebrated on a national level, little information is available. I did identify the recognition of Correctional Nurses by Washington State. Over the past few years, I have specifically paid attention to ads highlighting and recognizing nurses, specifically listening, and looking for the recognition and adoration for correctional nurses. Unfortunately, it has been less visible than I would like. The silence and absence of correctional nurse recognitions inspires me to challenge correctional nurses to tell their stories of how we have impacted health care. To tell stories of advocacy demonstrated by correctional nurses. Let us share with others how as professional nurses we Make a Difference in caring for a vulnerable population, address health inequities and disparities, and how we contribute to the public health of our community and nation.

The American Correctional Nurses Association would like to give voice to the nurses who tirelessly contribute and Make the Difference. Please share your positive stories with us over the next month.

Thank you for your passion and caring. We salute you for all you do.

Happy Nurses Week!

Respectfully,

Mary Muse, MS, RN, FAAN, CCHP-RN, CCHP-A

President, ACNA