Much has been written about the mental health of prisoner patients; however, consideration of the mental well-being of the prison nursing workforce has been limited. In this paper, we highlight some of the key issues currently affecting the mental well-being of nurses working in prison and, through a discussion of a nationally funded study, share our experience of the value both of clinical supervision and action learning in providing a supportive environment for those working with prisoner patients. Policy agendas such as overcrowding and organisational change affecting commissioning arrangements were pivotal to both the scope and findings of the study. This paper foregrounds clinical supervision and reflective practice but considers emotional labour to be a fundamental premise when considering their importance for prison nurses.
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