The number of incarcerated teenage girls is rapidly increasing. Research has shown that one out of every ten incarcerated girls is pregnant (Nichols, 2014). Due to the poor parental care offered to incarcerated women and girls, their pregnancy outcomes are significantly affected. According to the poster, the rate of miscarriages among teenage inmates has increased compared to the rate in the outside community. This is due to the deteriorating parental care in adolescent juvenile centers.
Due to the poor care among teenage inmates, the health of their unborn babies is at risk. The blame is primarily laid on the incompetence among the correctional center’s healthcare professional staff (Nichols, 2014). It has been noted in this post that most of the nurses deployed in different correctional centers are from medical-surgical and psychiatric backgrounds (Nichols, 2014).
Such nurses lack the experience and the required expertise to care for young pregnant girls in incarceration centers. It is very important for the healthcare staff in correctional facilities to be equipped with skills that will enable them to offer quality healthcare services to the young inmates efficiently. In order to make meaningful changes in the delivery of healthcare services in correctional services, it is important to examine the current knowledge and practice exercised within juvenile facilities (Nichols, 2014).
Currently, the nursing industry is turning its focus on evidence based educational programs for quality service delivery. Correctional nursing teams should adopt the same in their practice. This will help in raising the level of efficiency among healthcare staff members. In order to stop and eradicate the current poor outcomes among young teenage inmates, the quality of healthcare offered must be reviewed in all the incarceration centers.
The best way to ensure that this is happening is by creating facility policies that will enhance the implementation of quality healthcare services. It is imperative for correctional facilities to reduce the rate of maternal illnesses and the ensuing complications among teenage inmates (Nichols, 2014). To enhance their health and stability, their diet should include more folic acid. Pregnant women require a high intake of folic acid during their pregnancy (Nichols, 2014). Therefore, high intake of folic acid should be considered for such inmates.
Another important way to reduce the risks that pregnant girls face is by increasing the number of women receiving early parental care (Nichols, 2014). Generally, nursing courses should include the skills required to care for young pregnant women especially those who have been into correctional centers or are presently incarcerated in their training.
This will increase the level of quality healthcare in correctional facilities in case a nurse is deployed straight from college. In the post, it has been noted appropriately that very few literature work has been written on the subject of incarcerated pregnant women. In this case, the subject has been left out hence the rampant risk cases. There is a need for incarcerated women to receive quality care regardless of their situation for the sake of the unborn child.
Therefore, there is an urgent need for advocacy to emphasize the importance of eliminating the use of restraint among pregnant women in incarceration centers (Nichols, 2014). With the rising number of incarcerated teenagers, this post has proposed workable solutions to mitigate this issue in both long-term and short-term measures.
References
Nichols, M. (2014). Improving the Parental Care of Pregnant Adolescent in Juvenile Detention Centers. Florida, FL: Barry University.