Are you looking for a challenging and rewarding position? If so, read below and apply today!

The State of Connecticut, Department of Correction (DOC), has exciting opportunities for highly motivated Registered Professional Nurses across the state.

Position highlights

In this role you will work with a hardworking multidisciplinary team to deliver the highest level of care across a diverse population in our rare environment. You will have opportunities to care for a wide range of people and health concerns and gain invaluable experience while working in a dynamic highly varied work environment.

Responsibilities include:

• Independently assessing patients, developing a nursing diagnosis, developing and implementing a treatment plan, and providing patient education and self-care through the nursing sick call process;
• Performing health screenings and making triage decisions contributing to the health and safety of patients;
• Collaborating with multiple disciplines: custody, medical, mental health, dental and other health care support professionals;
• Playing a key role in the identification, treatment and control of the transmission of infections;
• Providing nursing care to special populations such as women's health, juvenile health, end-of-life care, mental health, infirmary care;
• Participating in a multidisciplinary team to provide chronic disease management by coordinating and managing chronic disease care;
• Advancing quality, patient safety and a culture of safety by volunteering as a nurse educator, preceptor; participating in facility-based quality and best practices committees;
• Responding and participating in emergency care delivery; and
• Performing related duties as required.

These positions will work 16 hours per pay period on second or third shift and must work one weekend shift a month and one major holiday.

We have vacancies at the following locations:

• Bridgeport Correctional Center – Bridgeport, CT
• Brooklyn Correctional Institution – Brooklyn, CT
• Cheshire Correctional Center - Cheshire, CT
• York Correctional Institution - East Lyme, CT
• Carl Robinson Correctional Institution - Enfield, CT
• Cybulski Community Reintegration Center - Enfield, CT
• Hartford Correctional Center - Hartford, CT
• Corrigan Correctional Center - Montville, CT
• New Haven Correctional Center - New Haven, CT
• Garner Correctional Institution - Newtown, CT
• Osborn Correctional Institution - Somers, CT
• MacDougall-Walker Correctional Institution - Suffield, CT

About us

DOC strives 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.

Read what our employees are saying:

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

Working for the department of corrections for the last six years has truly been a life changing experience. Both personally and professionally, D.O.C 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

Learn more from our healthcare team at the DOC:

Selection Plan

Before you apply:

• In order to be considered for this job opening, you must meet the Minimum Qualifications as listed on the job opening. You must specify your qualifications on your application.
• The minimum experience and training requirements must be met by the close date on the job opening, unless otherwise specified.
• Ensure that your application is complete and detailed before submitting it. In order to comply with Public Act 21-69, the State of Connecticut is no longer asking for resumes during the initial application process. You will not be able to make revisions once your application is submitted into the JobAps system.
• All application materials must be received by the recruiting agency by the time specified on the job opening for the position for which you are applying. Late applications may not be submitted and will not be considered. Exceptions are rare and limited to documented events that incapacitate a candidate during the entire duration of the job posting time period. It is the candidate’s obligation and responsibility to request an exception and provide a legally recognized justification to accommodate such exception. Requests should be made to DAS.SHRM@ct.gov.

Important information for after you apply:

• 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 questionnaire'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.
• 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, performance reviews, attendance records, supervisory references, licensure, etc., at the discretion of the hiring agency.
• The immediate vacancy is listed above, however, applications to this recruitment may be used for future vacancies in this job class.

Questions about this position should be directed to Mackenzie Robinson at mackenzie.robinson@ct.gov.

PURPOSE OF JOB CLASS (NATURE OF WORK)

In a state hospital or facility, works on a daily or hourly basis as a regular registered nurse, providing direct professional nursing care to a variety of individuals.

EXAMPLES OF DUTIES

Acts as a nurse working on a per diem/hourly basis; makes rounds and gives direct care; takes and records vital signs; carries out physicians orders regarding diet, medication, and treatment; changes dressings; checks and distributes narcotics; maintains availability of drugs and supplies; observes adequacy of housekeeping and maintenance services; performs first aid and alerts physicians to emergency conditions; records observations of physical and physiological status and actions taken; confers with nurses and physicians on other shifts regarding condition of individuals; protects human and civil rights of individuals and staff; educates individuals and their families towards an awareness and understanding of health and illness; assesses individuals medical-psychosocial needs; may participate in outpatient clinics and assist in physical examinations and histories; may administer EKG and eye examinations; may participate in bathing and feeding of individuals and residents; performs related duties as required.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILL AND ABILITY

Knowledge of principles and practices of nursing; considerable interpersonal skills; oral and written communication skills.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS - GENERAL EXPERIENCE

Graduation from an accredited nursing program.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Experience in correctional healthcare
• Emergency room experience
• Medical/surgery experience

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS

• Incumbents in this class must possess and retain a current license or temporary permit to practice professional nursing in Connecticut.

• Incumbents in this class may be required to be fluent in a foreign language or proficient in the use of American Sign Language in certain designated positions.

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.

WORKING CONDITIONS

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

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