What Is Prison Primary Care
Background
European directives indicate that prisoners should have the same access to healthcare as the population outside of prison and that the healthcare given to prisoners should be equivalent to community healthcare. (Council of Europe, 1989)
In the UK, prison healthcare is in partnership with the NHS in an effort to provide healthcare to prisoners, equal to that offered to people within the community (Norman and Parrish, 2002).
Nursing in prison
Prison nurses are nurses who practice nursing and deliver healthcare within a custodial environment (Weiskopf, 2005). Powell et al. (2010) states that primary care is the healthcare model present in custodial settings, and nurses are the key providers. Nursing practice in a prison setting includes prescribing, diagnosing, running specialist clinics, receiving and making referrals and managing care pathways (Powell et al., 2010). …show more content…
The same research study also reports that nurses have had to take risks in order to help prisoners, and at same time maintain self-safety. Powell et al., on an ethnographic study conducted in 2010 in England reinforces the idea above, suggesting that the prison infrastructure and the different security categories directly affect the healthcare provided by healthcare staff. The same research study also reported that nurses frequently undertake security duties to achieve their healthcare roles reinforcing the idea previously concluded by Weiskopf’s research
European directives indicate that prisoners should have the same access to healthcare as the population outside of prison and that the healthcare given to prisoners should be equivalent to community healthcare. (Council of Europe, 1989)
In the UK, prison healthcare is in partnership with the NHS in an effort to provide healthcare to prisoners, equal to that offered to people within the community (Norman and Parrish, 2002).
Nursing in prison
Prison nurses are nurses who practice nursing and deliver healthcare within a custodial environment (Weiskopf, 2005). Powell et al. (2010) states that primary care is the healthcare model present in custodial settings, and nurses are the key providers. Nursing practice in a prison setting includes prescribing, diagnosing, running specialist clinics, receiving and making referrals and managing care pathways (Powell et al., 2010). …show more content…
The same research study also reports that nurses have had to take risks in order to help prisoners, and at same time maintain self-safety. Powell et al., on an ethnographic study conducted in 2010 in England reinforces the idea above, suggesting that the prison infrastructure and the different security categories directly affect the healthcare provided by healthcare staff. The same research study also reported that nurses frequently undertake security duties to achieve their healthcare roles reinforcing the idea previously concluded by Weiskopf’s research