Community and Organizational Resources &
Information to Help Inform Nursing Practice in Prison
Nursing Organizations:
International Council of Nurses (ICN)
Position Statement: Torture, Death Penalty & Participation by Nurses in Execution (2006)
· Reinforces the idea that nurses may not take part in any form of physical or mental harm;
including the preparation in the process of execution
· By engaging in these forms of threats, a nurse violates the Nursing’s Ethical Codes of Practice
· Nurse educators should address issues of human rights and violations, such as torture and
death penalties, within curriculum (Holmes & Federman, 2003)
International Council of Nurses [ICN] (2006). Position statement: Torture, death penalty & participation by nurses in execution. Retrieved from:
http://www.icn.ch/images/stories/documents/publications/position_statements/E13_Torture_Death_Penalty_Executions.pdf
including the preparation in the process of execution
· By engaging in these forms of threats, a nurse violates the Nursing’s Ethical Codes of Practice
· Nurse educators should address issues of human rights and violations, such as torture and
death penalties, within curriculum (Holmes & Federman, 2003)
International Council of Nurses [ICN] (2006). Position statement: Torture, death penalty & participation by nurses in execution. Retrieved from:
http://www.icn.ch/images/stories/documents/publications/position_statements/E13_Torture_Death_Penalty_Executions.pdf
Canadian Nurses Association (CNA)
Code of Ethics (2008)
Ethical values held by all healthcare professionals and used as a guide to provide care to all those requiring and receiving healthcare. These values help maintain nurses' accountability as a self-regulating profession. The goal is to reduce social inequalities and promote social justice. Violation in any of these principles results in unethical misconduct
- Provide safe, compassionate, competent and ethical care Promote health and well-being
- Promote and respect informed decision-making
- Preserve dignity
- Respect privacy and confidentiality
- Promote justice
- Be accountable
Canadian Nurses Association. [CNA] (2008). Code of ethics for Registered Nurses. p.1-64
American Nurses Association (ANA)
Position Statement: Nurse’s Role in Capital Punishment (2010)
- The ANA position statement is specific to correctional nursing and explains the role
of nurses in capital punishment
- It also provides a historical overview and background information regarding capital
punishment
- They provide recommendations in the context of ethical concepts such as justice,
respect, nonmaleficence, beneficence, and fidelity
- It is made clear that the ANA opposes nurse's participation in capital punishment,
as it is fundamentally contrary to the ethical values held by the nursing profession
American Nurses Association Committee on Ethics. [ANA] (2010). Position statement: Nurse's role in capital punishment. Retrieved from: http://gm6.nursingworld.org/MainMenuCategories/Policy-Advocacy/Positions-and-Resolutions/ANAPositionStatements/Position-Statements-Alphabetically/prtetcptl14447.pdf
of nurses in capital punishment
- It also provides a historical overview and background information regarding capital
punishment
- They provide recommendations in the context of ethical concepts such as justice,
respect, nonmaleficence, beneficence, and fidelity
- It is made clear that the ANA opposes nurse's participation in capital punishment,
as it is fundamentally contrary to the ethical values held by the nursing profession
American Nurses Association Committee on Ethics. [ANA] (2010). Position statement: Nurse's role in capital punishment. Retrieved from: http://gm6.nursingworld.org/MainMenuCategories/Policy-Advocacy/Positions-and-Resolutions/ANAPositionStatements/Position-Statements-Alphabetically/prtetcptl14447.pdf
Government Organizations:
Department of Health (2007)
Guidance Notes: Prison Health Performance and Quality Indicators
- National Health Services (NHS) responsible for healthcare of prisoners
- Prison Health Performance and Quality Indicators (PHPQI):
~ Allows for the assessment of appropriateness of healthcare provided to prisoners
- Includes effectiveness of services for health priorities, based on health risk assessment
- Determines the value of health services provided to the prisoners
Department of Health (2007). Guidance Notes: Prison Health Performance and Quality Indicators. Retrieved from:
http://www.dh.gov.uk/prod_consum_dh/groups/dh_digitalassets/documents/digitalasset/dh_097117.pdf
- Prison Health Performance and Quality Indicators (PHPQI):
~ Allows for the assessment of appropriateness of healthcare provided to prisoners
- Includes effectiveness of services for health priorities, based on health risk assessment
- Determines the value of health services provided to the prisoners
Department of Health (2007). Guidance Notes: Prison Health Performance and Quality Indicators. Retrieved from:
http://www.dh.gov.uk/prod_consum_dh/groups/dh_digitalassets/documents/digitalasset/dh_097117.pdf
Human Rights Organization:
Amnesty International (2012)
USA An Embarrassment of Hitches: Reflections on the Death Penalty...
- Amnesty International is an organization that informs nurses about human rights in all
countries
- In the referenced document they note that the risk of pain during executions would be
minimized if healthcare professionals would conduct lethal injections
- They also note that the healthcare code of ethics prohibits them from participating in any
execution
- A powerful excerpt from the document:
“Two nurses came in and advised me to lay down… The nurses were simultaneously trying to access the veins in my arms. The female nurse tried three separate times to access veins in the middle of my left arm. The male nurse tried three separate times to access veins…in the middle of my right arm. After those six attempts, the nurses told me to take a break…After the break, the female nurse tried twice...She must have hit a muscle because the pain made me scream out loud. The male nurse attempted…first time the male nurse successfully accessed a vein in my right arm. He attempted to insert the IV, but he lost it and blood started to run down my arm. The female nurse left the room. The correction officer asked her if she was okay. She responded, ‘no’ and walked out. The death squad leader made a statement to the effect that this was hard on everyone and suggested that they take another break...At this point, I was in a great deal of pain. The puncture wounds hurt and made it difficult to stretch or move my arms. The male nurse returned with some hot towels…The male nurse applied the towels to my arms and massaged my left arm…After applying the towels, the male nurse attempted to access my veins once in the middle of my left arm and three more times in my left hand… I tried to assist them by helping to tie my own arm… At that point I became very upset. I began to cry because I was in pain and my arms were swelling. The nurses were placing needles in areas that were already bruised and swollen… The head nurse attempted to access veins in my right ankle… During this attempt the needle hit my bone and was very painful. I screamed. At the same time the head nurse was attempting to access veins twice in my right hands…The level of pain was at its maximum. I had been poked at least 18 times in multiple areas all in an attempt to give me drugs that would take my life...Romell Broom remains on death row, with the state still intending to take him back to the execution chamber for a second attempt at killing him" (Amnesty International, 2012, p.44-45).
Amnesty International (2012). USA an embarrassment of hitches: reflections on the death penalty, 35 years after Gregg v. Georgia, as states scramble for lethal injection drugs. p.1-84. Retrieved from: http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/asset/AMR51/058/2011/en/6322d94e-c818-40bb-bab4-b7c1c8f56ba4/amr510582011en.pdf
Media Information:
SF Appeal Online Newspaper: Nurse Wins Jail Retaliation Suit
- In 2006, a group of nurses experienced work violence, as the manager of Prison Health
Services mistreated them and threatened to remove their nursing security clearances
- Davis (an ethnic woman and president of a branch of a National Association for the
Advancement of coloured people) had 15 years of experience, spoke up for her and the rest of
the nurses about the workplace violence, but was harassed and forced to leave her job
- Lawsuit was filed and Davis won, she had faced ‘racist and sexist behaviour’ since 2006
- This article explains the importance of nurses to speak up against issues toward workplace
violence, gender inequality and human rights that may occur in correctional facilities, where
male officers normally dominate
Shuttleworth, J. (2011, December 16). Nurse wins jail retaliation suit. SF Appeal Online Newspaper. Retrieved from: http://sfappeal.com/news/2011/12/nurse-wins-jail-retaliation-suit.php
Services mistreated them and threatened to remove their nursing security clearances
- Davis (an ethnic woman and president of a branch of a National Association for the
Advancement of coloured people) had 15 years of experience, spoke up for her and the rest of
the nurses about the workplace violence, but was harassed and forced to leave her job
- Lawsuit was filed and Davis won, she had faced ‘racist and sexist behaviour’ since 2006
- This article explains the importance of nurses to speak up against issues toward workplace
violence, gender inequality and human rights that may occur in correctional facilities, where
male officers normally dominate
Shuttleworth, J. (2011, December 16). Nurse wins jail retaliation suit. SF Appeal Online Newspaper. Retrieved from: http://sfappeal.com/news/2011/12/nurse-wins-jail-retaliation-suit.php
The Canadian Press: Prison Nurses Face Sex Taunts, Death Threats
- Article talks about the various issues that nurses in correctional
facilities may face, including sexual comments, death threats
and decreased security with prisoners faking illnesses
- May face less job satisfaction, but less burnout associated with
working at these facilities
- Greater focus on security, workplace environment is less secure
as clients may try to escape facility
- Important for nurse to be able to recognize when a client has a
genuine health complaint or they are just trying to escape the
prison
The Canadian Press. (2011, January 4). Prison nurses face sex taunts, death threats. CBC News. Retrieved from http://www.cbc.ca/news/health/story/2011/01/04/nurses-prison-threats.html
facilities may face, including sexual comments, death threats
and decreased security with prisoners faking illnesses
- May face less job satisfaction, but less burnout associated with
working at these facilities
- Greater focus on security, workplace environment is less secure
as clients may try to escape facility
- Important for nurse to be able to recognize when a client has a
genuine health complaint or they are just trying to escape the
prison
The Canadian Press. (2011, January 4). Prison nurses face sex taunts, death threats. CBC News. Retrieved from http://www.cbc.ca/news/health/story/2011/01/04/nurses-prison-threats.html