CRANSTON, R.I. – May 3, 2007 – In recognition of National Nurses Week 2007, The Rhode Island Department of Corrections will hold a Nurses’ Day Brunch on Wednesday, May 8, from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. in the Administrative Conference Room at 40 Howard Ave., Cranston. This year’s theme for National Nurses’ Week is Nursing: A Profession and a Passion,” and according to Corrections Director A.T. Wall II, nowhere is that passion more apparent than in the field of correctional nursing. Although Wall will be out of the state and unable to attend this year’s brunch, he wrote a letter to be read on his behalf at the brunch in which he states, “You have the difficult challenge of walking the line between being a caring and compassionate caregiver while being sensitive to security issues unique to correctional settings.”
The RIDOC nursing staff includes 52 nurses responsible for providing nursing services to over 3,800 inmates spread throughout eight different facilities. The diverse staff includes 34 female and 18 male nurses, including 39 licensed RN’s and 13 LPN’s. Ten RIDOC nurses are of African descent, three are Latino/a, and one if of Middle Eastern descent.
For additional information on RIDOC’s health care services, please visit the RIDOC web page at www.doc.ri.gov.