Lived experiences of nurses working in a provincial correctional facility in Alberta, The

Correctional nurses are the largest group of healthcare providers within correctional facilities. They are tasked with delivering a wide variety of healthcare services to individuals with typically poor health, complicated health histories, and poor social determinants of health within the confines of a correctional environment. To study the lived experience of correctional nurses from provincial correctional facilities in Alberta, nine nurses from six different correctional facilities were interviewed using descriptive phenomenology. Eight themes and eight subthemes were identified which highlighted the type of population served by correctional nurses, the barriers present in providing care within a correctional facility, the complicated, multi-layered role taken on by correctional nurses, the importance of working with correctional officers, the harmful work environment correctional nurses work within, staffing issues present in this area of healthcare, and reported high quality care and job satisfaction. The results of this study can be used to support correctional nurses by strengthening their professional identity to improve staffing retention and recruitment in the area of correctional healthcare. Keywords: correctional healthcare, correctional nursing, descriptive phenomenologyIncludes bibliographical references (pages 61-65)."In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Psychiatric Nursing.