STATE OF CONNECTICUT EXECUTIVE BRANCH JOBS

Nurse (Correctional Facility) (36 Hour)

Recruitment #211119-2294XS-001

Introduction

   

Are you passionate about helping others and making a difference? 
If so, we have several terrific opportunities for you!

The State of Connecticut, Department of Correction (DOC), invites you to discover these outstanding opportunities as a Registered Nurse in Somers. The hardworking and dedicated team at the Osborn Correctional Institution is growing! This position is ideal for both recent graduates and seasoned professionals.

JOB DETAILS
We are hiring for the following full-time openings at the Osborn Correctional Institution:
  • First shift 7:00am - 3:00pm (Every other weekend - Rotating holidays, 72 Hour Bi-Weekly)
  • Second shift 3:00am - 11:00pm (Every other weekend - Rotating holidays, 72 Hour Bi-Weekly)
  • Third shift 11:00pm - 7:00am (Every other weekend - Rotating holidays, 72 Hour Bi-Weekly)
DOC is seeking highly motivated individuals to deliver care for our inmate population and assist them in their rehabilitation. Join a practice of nursing and delivery of patient care within the unique and distinct environment of the criminal justice system. Correctional nursing practice is focused independent practice and autonomy.

Whether you are an experienced nurse or a recent graduate, you will apply your nursing knowledge, skills and abilities to assess, plan, implement and evaluate a full range of health conditions and determine both the urgency and priority of care delivery. Our orientation programs give you the knowledge and confidence to practice in a correctional environment as a professional nurse. Our in-service programs provide nurses with the opportunity to maintain clinical skills and learn new skills to advance patient care.

Key duties of this position include:
  • Independently assess patients, develop a nursing diagnosis, develop and implement a treatment plan, and provide patient education and self-care through the nursing sick call process
  • Perform health screenings and makes 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, 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; participate in facility-based quality and best practices committees
  • Respond and participation in emergency care delivery
  • Perform related duties as required (see "Examples of Duties" section below)
BENEFITS AND PERKS
What we can offer you:
  • A Hazardous Duty pension plan (State Employees Retirement System Tier IV)
  • Generous time off (personal, sick and vacation)
  • Retire in 25 years - with pension & healthcare benefits
  • Excellent health benefits along with additional supplemental benefits
  • A challenging yet rewarding experience
Additional Benefits:
  • We offer career mobility - get paid to go to school
  • Tuition Reimbursement after 6 months
  • Nursing licensure reimbursement
  • Conference and workshop funds allotment $1,500.00 (travel, food, lodging)
  • Meal allowance per shift
  • Accruals sick time/vacation time/ personal time
  • 2nd and 3rd shift differential/weekend differential
  • Recruitment and retention bonuses for RN’s on 2nd & 3rd shift $3,000 yearly.
WHAT OUR EMPLOYEES SAY
"Working for the Department of Correction for the last six years has truly been a life changing experience. Both personally and professionally, DOC has afforded me with opportunities that I would not have had otherwise. While working with the department, I have been able to work in several facilities, gathering skills and knowledge from each of them. I have formed valuable relationships with not only my nursing co-workers, but with custody staff, social workers and every discipline in-between. I have been able to attend correctional nursing conferences that have opened my eyes to issues and education that I hadn’t considered beforehand. The Department of Corrections provides upward mobility for nurses looking to advance their career. Happiness and satisfaction with my work life allows me to be a better husband and father at home. I consider it a privilege to work with this department." -James Fagan, RN

"My name is Mike and I am a Department of Correction Nurse. I’ve had many titles throughout my Nursing career such as a dialysis, medical/surgical, cardiac/ pulmonary and rehab nurse. While at the DOC, I found myself volunteering to stay at their Covid-19 Recovery Unit in Suffield, Ct. On this unit I recall two major eye-opening moments. First, was witnessing the impact of the virus and how fast a patient can deteriorate. The second moment was when I realized that the DOC Nursing staff was one big family.

We all worked together seamlessly to implement treatments allowing our patients to survive this virus and maximize recovery. There was no belittling between the hierarchy of staff, everyone respects each other, and if a mistakes are made it was looked at as an educational moment rather than a time to scold.

Working for the DOC has improved my critical thinking skills tremendously and added many tools to my “Mental Nursing Toolbox of Information”. The people are great, the job is rewarding, and you can learn a lot form everyone around you."
-Mikal 'Mike' French, RN

"I started with correctional nursing in 2011, and it is the best decision I made for my nursing career. I applied for a LPN durational position in early 2010 when the nursing home I had been working at announced they would be closing. About 9 months later, I got a call asking if I was still interested in coming in for an interview and I said yes; come the morning of the interview, I woke up and said to myself that I wasn’t going to go because it was so far, it was at Corrigan and I lived 45 minutes away, but after contemplating, I called the supervisor and explained I would be late, but she told me to come in anyways. That day changed my life, I began working at Corrigan and now 10 years and 3 facilities later, I have become an RN and now a CHN (Correctional Head Nurse) while employed with the Department of Corrections thanks to the wonderful benefits of career mobility and tuition reimbursement. Correctional nursing has helped me to develop great assessment and leadership skills. -Alice Scott-Hinton, BSN, RN


For an additional inside look at what it's like to work in correctional healthcare, check out the video below:
         

ABOUT US

Our Mission: The Department of Correction shall strive to be a global leader in progressive correctional practices and partnered re-entry initiatives to support responsive evidence-based practices aligned to law-abiding and accountable behaviors. Safety and security shall be a priority component of this responsibility as it pertains to staff, victims, citizens and offenders.

Selection Plan

These are all full-time (36) hours per week positions, on First, Second and Third shifts, every other weekend and holiday. Positions are located at Osborn Correctional Institution. Incumbents in this class must possess and retain a current license or temporary permit as a Registered Professional Nurse in Connecticut.

Important Note on Shift Selection: Applicants must select the shift(s) in which they wish to be considered for on their application prior to submission. Failure to indicate the shift will result in the applicant not being considered for vacancies in that designated shift.

Options are First, Second and Third shifts, every other weekend and holiday.

The unit assignment and shift will be temporary. The permanent assignment will be determined at the end of the initial working test period. DOC will make reasonable efforts to keep the newly hired employees on the same shift they are initially assigned however, the assignment cannot be guaranteed.

All State employees shall follow the guidelines as listed in Executive Orders  13F (3a) and 13G (3a) .

The immediate vacancy is listed above, however, applications to this recruitment may be used for future vacancies in this job class.

Although applicants will receive correspondence via email, as a backup they are also encouraged to sign on to their Personal Status Board on a daily basis to monitor their status, view all emailed notices and complete tasks required in the recruitment process. 

Note:  At any point during the recruitment process, applicants may be required to submit additional documentation which support their qualification(s) for this position.  These documents may include:  a cover letter, resume, transcripts, diplomas, performance reviews, attendance records, supervisory references, licensure, etc., at the discretion of the hiring agency.  Applicants must meet the minimum qualifications as indicated to apply for this position. 

This posting may require completion of additional referral questions (RQs). You can access these RQs via an email that will be sent to you after the posting's closing date or by visiting your JobAps Personal Status Board  (Certification Questionnaires section). Your responses to these RQs must be submitted by the question's expiration date. Please regularly check your email and JobAps Personal Status Board for notifications. Please check your SPAM and/or Junk folders on a daily basis in the event an email provider places auto-notification emails in a user's spam. 

The minimum experience and training requirements must be met by the close date on the job opening, unless otherwise specified.

In order to comply with Public Act 21-69, the State of Connecticut is no longer asking for resumes during the initial application process.  

Questions about this recruitment should be directed to Jake Ferrari via email at jake.ferrari@ct.gov.

PURPOSE OF JOB CLASS (NATURE OF WORK)

In a Department of Correction facility, this class is accountable for providing professional nursing and/or mental health care to inmates and assisting in their rehabilitation or providing targeted infection control services.

EXAMPLES OF DUTIES

Independently implements nursing process with inmates including carrying out physicians orders regarding diet, medication and treatment; performs assessments; changes dressings; monitors and ensures quality care through observation and evaluation; reports on physiological and mental health status of inmates; documents nursing interventions on medical records; distributes and maintains records of controlled drugs and insures their security; maintains records and makes reports; makes decisions in routine cases; instructs inmates and staff regarding treatments, nursing plans and related inmate care issues directed towards an awareness and understanding of health/mental health issues; responds to emergencies; maintains availability of medications and supplies; ensures cleanliness of equipment and environment; may provide pre-certification for and coordination of inmates admitted to and discharged from acute care facilities; may formulate and implement nursing care plans; may administer routine tests; may conduct training; may delegate nursing tasks consistent with established protocols; may participate in psychotherapeutic and rehabilitation interventions; may conduct daily sick call; may physically restrain inmates, quell disturbances and otherwise assist mental health and correctional staff in emergencies; may provide related medical or mental health specialty services; performs related duties as required.

Independently implements infection control services with inmates; performs infection control assessments; provides infection prevention and control education and training to inmates; responds to emergencies; conducts health record chart reviews; reviews tracking systems for HIV, TB and other infectious diseases; monitors incidences of infections including TB, MRSA and other infectious diseases; analyzes trends over time and across system; assesses inmates for knowledge of infection control and prevention; identifies inmates nearing re-entry date for participation in re-entry infection prevention education programs; identifies community based infection prevention resources; develops informational materials about community-based programs and disseminates to re-entry population; maintains records and makes 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; performs related duties as required.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILL AND ABILITY

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; knowledge of and ability to apply quality standards, procedures and protocols; knowledge of and sensitivity to cultural and socio-economic difference; some 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 team work; ability to analyze and evaluate proper care and treatment; ability to interview; some ability to develop curricula.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS - GENERAL EXPERIENCE

Graduation from an accredited nursing program.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS

  1. Candidates may be required to have experience working with adolescents or in women's health or mental health care.
  2. Incumbents in this class must possess and retain a current license or temporary permit as a Registered Professional Nurse in Connecticut.
  3. Incumbents in this class may be required to be fluent in a foreign language or proficient in the use of the American Sign Language in certain designated positions.
  4. Incumbents in this class may be required to possess and retain a valid Motor Vehicle Operator’s license.
  5. Incumbents in this class may be required to travel.

CHARACTER REQUIREMENTS

In addition to the checking of references and of facts stated in the application, a thorough background investigation of each candidate may be made before persons are certified for permanent appointment.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

Incumbents in this class must possess general good health and retain sufficient stamina, agility and visual and auditory acuity necessary to perform all duties of the class. Incumbents are required to pass a physical examination.

WORKING CONDITIONS

Incumbents in this class may be required to lift and restrain inmates; may have exposure to communicable/infectious diseases and risk of injury from assaultive/abusive inmates; may be exposed to disagreeable conditions.

Conclusion

AN AFFIRMATIVE ACTION/EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

The State of Connecticut is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and strongly encourages the applications of women, minorities, and persons with disabilities.