Deborah Birtchnell

Employer: HM Prison Service
Qualifications: RN, certificate of higher education in adult nursing, diploma in professional practice

After 20 years working in critical care at an NHS hospital I decided to join the prison service. I work with seven other nurses delivering general care to prisoners. I specialise in chronic diseases such as asthma, coronary heart disease or hypertension, but there are a variety of nursing roles available within the prison. Depending on the size and type of prison you would expect to find a pharmacy lead nurse, a nurse practitioner, forensic psychiatric nurses and staff nurses. We have no inpatient facilities, but some prisons have.

I’ve learned new skills

I’ve had no specific training to enable me to work in a prison although I’ve learned new skills on the job. However, an induction period of one or two weeks is given to new members of staff, and clinical support is also available. I do feel that my background in acute care has helped me, although we welcome nursing staff from most specialities and backgrounds.

A fast-paced environment

On a day-to-day basis, I manage patients with a range of chronic diseases, dispense medications and look after patients’ daily needs. Along with other nurses, I screen the health of any men who have transferred here from other prisons, deal with queries from the wing officers or see to injuries after a fight. The prison holds a minor injuries clinic most days, a nurse practitioner runs a clinic twice a week, and the doctor is in session every morning.

We also have a chiropodist, a dentist and an optician who hold sessions over the course of a month. I enjoy building relationships with the prisoners. They enjoy having someone to take their ailments seriously and for many it’s the first time that they’ve had any structured care so they respond really well. Prison is a fast-paced and challenging environment to work in, but the rewards are endless.