Finding meaningful work in difficult circumstances: A study of prison healthcare workers

Abstract

Prisons are rigidly structured institutions housing—in some cases—violent and unstable residents. To discover the positive job attributes and perceived challenges in this extreme practice environment, we employed exploratory qualitative content analysis on the written-in responses of 269 prison health workers in one state’s Department of Corrections. Two researchers independently analyzed and coded the data. Using an iterative process, we categorized the responses into themes and critical underlying meanings. Positive job attributes included meaningful work, stability, variety of ailments treated, and feelings of support. Perceived challenges included ineffective leadership, constraints on the ability to effectively execute the role, perceived inequity, and organizational culture. The results of our study suggest that there are lessons to be learned from correctional health workers that could inform policy and management outside of the prison walls specifically as it pertains to motivating and engaging providers through meaningful work. Specifically, health organizations would improve the experience of their clinicians by offering a broader scope of practice experience, schedule stability, reducing bureaucratic redundancies, and—ultimately—restoring the sense of purpose within the work itself.