Chapter 24 Care of Correctional Populations

Chapter 24   Care of Correctional Populations

Complete Chapter Questions With Answers

Sample Questions Are Posted Below

1) Clients in correctional settings have unique considerations for care. Providing care in a correctional setting has implications for the client population health as environmental conditions and behaviors in correctional facilities:

1. Can spread communicable diseases.
2. Are well-suited for health promotion interventions.
3. Decrease the potential for communicable disease transmission.
4. Eliminate unhealthy lifestyle behaviors.

Answer:  1

Explanation:  1. Many correctional facilities are overcrowded and essentially unhealthy environments. Such places can spread communicable diseases among the inmate population and potentially provide a cause of spread in the general population when an inmate is released. Health promotion can occur in correctional facilities but the environment is not well-suited for this given its purpose and nature. Conditions and behaviors in correctional facilities contribute to potential communicable disease transmission; they do not decrease it. Lifestyle behaviors can be curtailed to a degree within correctional facilities, but unhealthy lifestyle behaviors are not totally eliminated.

Nursing/Int.Conc:  Nursing Process: Planning

Client Need:  Safe and Effective Care Environment

Cognitive Level:  Application

Learning Outcome:  24-1

2) The population health nurse is providing care to inmates. This provision of care protects constitutional rights of inmates and:

1. Saves taxpayer monies as compared to providing transportation to health care services outside the facility.
2. Ensures the inmate population is at its highest level of health.
3. Allows health problems to be diagnosed earlier.
4. Educates the inmate population about healthy behaviors.

Answer:  1

Explanation:  1. Providing health care within a correctional facility to the inmate population saves taxpayer funds that would be otherwise spent transporting inmates and using taxpayer monies for health care in outside facilities. While care can be delivered in correctional facilities, it is not guaranteed that the inmate population will get to its highest level of health, nor does it guarantee that health problems can be diagnosed earlier. There is a potential for educating the inmate population about healthy behaviors but it is not an expectation of health care in such a facility.

Nursing/Int.Conc:  Nursing Process: Implementation

Client Need:  Safe and Effective Care Environment

Cognitive Level:  Application

Learning Outcome:  24-1

3) An advanced population health nurse in a correctional setting can best utilize this role to:

1. Provide basic care to inmates.
2. Counsel inmates about health promotion activities.
3. Formulate health care policy for inmates and evaluate the effects of the facility health care program.
4. Treat disease and injuries that occur in this setting.

Answer:  3

Explanation:  3. The advanced practice role of nurses in correctional facilities goes beyond the basic role in the ability to formulate health care policy and evaluate the effectiveness of the facility’s health care program. Providing care to inmates, treating disease and injuries, and counseling about health promotion are all activities of basic nursing practice in correctional facilities.

Nursing/Int.Conc:  Nursing Process: Implementation

Client Need:  Health Promotion and Maintenance

Cognitive Level:  Application

Learning Outcome:  24-2

4) Inmates who are admitted to a long-term correctional facility should be:

1. Tested for hepatitis B.
2. Screened for mental health problems.
3. Assessed for HIV symptomatology.
4. Screened and tested for tuberculosis (TB).

Answer:  4

Explanation:  4. Tuberculosis (TB) incidence is highest in correctional facilities, and multi-drug resistant TB occurs in some facilities. TB assessment and screening should be done on all inmates, because the conditions of overcrowding, overall poor health status of some inmates, and the failure to complete the full course of treatment can contribute to spreading the disease among the unaffected population. Inmates do not need to be tested for hepatitis B, HIV symptomatology, or screened for mental health problems unless there are background indicators present.

Nursing/Int.Conc:  Nursing Process: Assessment

Client Need:  Safe and Effective Care Environment

Cognitive Level:  Application

Learning Outcome:  24-3