Research & Practice Evidence
Correctional Nursing Research as the grounding evidence for Education and Practice
Correctional Nursing research is a cornerstone for both practice and education, providing the evidence base that ensures care is safe, effective, and aligned with the latest scientific knowledge.
The Center has partnered with an international team of academic and practice nursing experts for the exploration of Professional Identity in Correctional Nursing (PIN-CN). Partners from Canada, Australia and the US have joined to identify PIN-CN and implications for workforce recruitment and retention outcomes.
Presentations:
- What Correctional Nurses Really Do: Defining Practice Through NIC-NOC. NCCHC National Conference on Correctional Health Care, Oct. 24-28, 2026. Las Vegas, NV.
- The Draw: Recruitment and Retention of Correctional Health Professionals. NCCHC National Conference on Correctional Health Care, Oct. 24-28, 2026. Las Vegas, NV.
- Mapping Professional Identity and Value in Nursing. NCCHC 2026 Spring Conference on Correctional Health Care, New Orleans, April 18-21.
- Professional Identity in Correctional Nursing: Why does it matter? (Jan 15, 2026). ACNA Virtual Webinar Series. SEE:ouracna.org, on-demand programs.
- A Scoping Review: Professional Identity in Correctional Nursing – Why does it Matter? Poster. (Nov. 2-5, 2025).NCCHC Fall Conference, Baltimore, MD.
- National Nurse Intervention Classification for Correctional Nursing (Sept. 4, 2025). ACNA Virtual Webinar. American Correctional Nurses Association, Center 4 Correctional Nursing and University of Iowa virtual consensus meeting.
- Professional Identity and Workforce Wellness (Aug. 25, 2025). Safety Corrections & Health in Action Symposium, Denver, CO.
- Revisiting Nurse Recruitment and Retention.
Publications:
Mac Lennan, S., Smith, S. & Shelton, D. (2026, submitted). Mapping Professional Identity in U.S Correctional Nursing: Tree of Impact Analysis. Advancing Corrections Journal, ICPA.org
Smith, S., Mac Lennan, S. & Shelton, D. (2026, accepted). Professional Identity in Correctional Nursing: Why It Matters in Jails. 2027 American Jails. American Correctional Association.
Shelton, D., Brockman, A., Norman, H., Roscoe, LE., San Miguel, P., Smith, S. & Strada, M. (under review, June 2026). Defining Correctional Nursing Practice Through the Nursing Interventions Classification: Results of a National Consensus Review. JFN. (under review).
In Development:
- A scoping review to assess the nature and extent of the research evidence and implications for practice
- A survey utilizing a standardized instrument to measure professional identity in nursing