title: Nursing with prisoners: the practice of caring, forensic nursing or penal harm nursing?
abstract: The number of incarcerated persons in the United States has been increasing dramatically over the last two decades. Incarcerated men and women have increased rates of serious and chronic physical and mental illnesses and therefore require substantial health care efforts. Caring for prisoners is a difficult and often unrewarding experience for health care providers, particularly within a social climate that encourages noncaring behaviors. This article critically analyzes three philosophic stances toward nursing care with prisoners and suggests their philosophic commensurability within traditional nursing practice. Implications for nursing practice, research, and education are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Nursing, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, USA.
authors.forename: M K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Maeve
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Vaughn
mesh_terms: D004645:Empathy; D004993:Ethics, Nursing; D005554:Forensic Medicine; D006040:Goals; D006808:Humanism; D006801:Humans; D007587:Job Description; D019359:Knowledge; D016294:Models, Nursing; D024802:Nurse's Role; D009723:Nurse-Patient Relations; D015404:Nursing Methodology Research; D010344:Patient Advocacy; D010347:Patient Care Planning; D010687:Philosophy, Nursing; D011329:Prisoners / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013041:Specialties, Nursing / Q000458:organization & administration*; D014481:United States