Registered Nurse

Initial Posting Date:

10/22/2026

Application Deadline:

11/05/2026

Agency:

Department of Corrections

Salary Range:

$8,443 - $11,932

Position Type:

Employee

Position Title:

Institution Registered Nurse (Salem)

Job Description:

Institution Registered Nurse (Salem)

Oregon State Penitentiary – Salem, Oregon

Oregon Department of Corrections

The Oregon Department of Corrections (ODOC) is seeking Registered Nurses with a passion for utilizing all areas of their training. You will be treating sickness, run lines, vaccinations, diabetic care, daily ailments, post-op care, end-of-life, and see the continuity of care without the intrusive limits of outside medical billing.

We need dedicated professionals to provide on-site care within our secure correctional facility medical units. Enjoy flexible scheduling, a manageable patient load, and the opportunity to truly follow the course of treatment without the pressures of billing or insurance. This is a rewarding role for those who value professional continuity of care and making a real difference.

About the Job – Your Role

The Oregon Department of Corrections (ODOC) is seeking Registered Nurses with a passion for caring for marginalized and underserved incarcerated individuals. Enjoy flexible scheduling, a manageable patient load, and the opportunity to truly follow the course of treatment without the pressures of billing or insurance. This is a rewarding role for those who value continuity of care, professional autonomy, and making a real difference.

The ODOC patient population is disproportionately affected by mental health needs, substance abuse needs, and many socioeconomic stressors and nursing staff are critical to the provision of evidence-based care to address these needs. We are seeking knowledgeable, motivated, empathetic, and passionate Registered Nurses to deliver patient centered health care services, comprehensive patient health education, and serve as a health care advocate for our patients.

Your primary responsibility will be to provide health care services to individuals living in ODOC correctional facilities. Primary tasks include:

• Direct Patient Care: The provision of nursing care includes patient assessment, nursing diagnosis, care planning, medication administration, laboratory/medical procedures, and treatment provision in accordance with ODOC policies, procedures, protocols, provider orders, and evidence-based standards of care. 
• Coordination of Care: Coordinate patient's health care by scheduling services on-site and community-based services to ensure optimal patient health outcomes are achieved.
• Communication: Provide comprehensive patient education and serve as a resource for non-medical staff as it pertains to the provision of health care in the correctional setting. Advocate for patient care needs to ensure patient care needs are met in a timely manner and not adversely impacted by the correctional environment.
• Documentation: Maintain accurate, legible, and complete records of patient care. Document all requests for medical attention, objective data collected during patient care, treatment provided, evaluation of treatment effectiveness, and patient education provided.
• Administrative: Coordinate nursing care activities with services provided by other departments. Assume responsibility for the operations of the unit in the absence of management staff. Evaluate and monitor medical supplies to ensure appropriate supplies are available in sufficient quantities and that accurate accounting and secure storage of supplies, including narcotic, needle and syringe counts, is maintained.

This position is represented by American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME). This position may be eligible for Police & Fire (P&F) benefits through Public Employees Retirement System (PERS), as defined by statute.

What’s in it for you?

DOC employee benefits include medical, dental, vision, and basic employee life coverage through the Public Employees' Benefit Board (PEBB) and retirement benefits through the Public Employees Retirement System (PERS). Paid vacation leave and sick leave are accrued monthly and wage increases are awarded in accordance with the applicable labor contract.

Additional applicable incentives:

• 5% for bilingual
• 4.75% for BSN
• 9.5% for MSN
• 5% for Lead Worker
• Swing shift – $3.92/hour
• Night shift - $5/hour
• Weekend shift - $5/hour

Minimum Qualifications

Possess a valid Oregon Registered Professional Nurse's License at the time of appointment.

Preference given to candidates with an unencumbered license.

NOTE: At the time of recruitment, the agency may require training or experience in a specialized area of nursing.

Requested General Knowledge

• Professional principles, practices, and theory of nursing practice
• Laws, rules, and regulations governing the provision of nursing practice
• Medical terminology
• Pharmacology management
• Medical ethics
• Counseling and intervention techniques
• Disease processes and treatment methods
• Principles and procedures of infection control/communicable disease management
• Operating personal computers

Desired Attributes

• Excellent oral and written communication
• Social justice oriented
• Embraces teamwork with a positive mindset
• Health equity focused
• Ability to perform in a high stress environment
• Harm reduction advocate

Please upload a copy of your resume and a cover letter expressing your interest and how you meet the desired attributes and qualifications for this position.  

Application Information

• In the Work Experience section of your application make sure to include the dates and duties of all relevant positions and details to support how you meet these attributes. If you do not include education or work experience meeting the minimum qualifications, you will not be considered for the position. Only the candidates whose experience most closely matches the qualifications and requested skills of this position will be invited to interview. Applicants must meet the minimum qualifications on or before the job posting close date.
• The job posting closes at 11:59 PM (PDT/PST) on the close date. After you submit your application, be sure to respond to the two questionnaires relating to public records requests and veterans’ preference immediately following your submittal. These questions are necessary to complete the application process.
• Please monitor both your email and Workday account for updates regarding this recruitment. You may be asked to submit a skills assessment, a writing sample, or other assessment as part of the application screening process.
• Please save a copy of this job announcement for reference, as it is not available for you to view after the announcement deadline.

Open Until Filled: This recruitment will remain open until filled. We may close the announcement at any time when we have received an adequate number of applications. We cannot guarantee we will consider all applications received. We encourage interested applicants not to delay in applying.

Working Conditions

• Requires working independently with little or no supervision.
• Must have the ability to work any or all of the seven days of the week, including but not limited to, Saturdays or Sundays or both; and work any shift of the day, including, but not limited to, swing, graveyard, or day.
• Requires contact with adults in custody, who may become violent, in a correctional setting.
• Requires mandatory double shifts occasionally.
• Requires walking or standing for long periods, climbing stairs and heavy lifting.
• May require limited exertion resulting from patient care.
• May be exposed to chemicals, radiation, communicable diseases, or other hazards inherent in a health care and correctional setting.
• May require occasional local or in-state travel for training or meetings.

About the Department

The Oregon Department of Corrections is responsible for over 12,000 adults in custody in 12 state prisons throughout Oregon. It advises and evaluates counties regarding administration of probation and parole programs supervising more than 24,000 offenders in Oregon communities. The mission is to protect communities, promote accountability, and transform lives.

The Oregon Department of Corrections serves a diverse and changing population of people who are incarcerated and on supervision. We commit to creating an organization both reflecting the diversity of the population we serve and ensuring all employees thrive in a culture of safety, trust, and belonging. We strive to be an anti-racist corrections system. Welcoming, inclusive, and respectful of all people. Free of discrimination, harassment, and retaliation.

The Department offers a variety of programs and opportunity to create a safe and healthy environment to for our staff, volunteers, and adults in custody. Joining the Oregon Department of Corrections is joining a team working for the benefit of our communities through innovative and proven correctional practices.

Benefits

The salary range listed above is for non-PERS qualifying applicants. PERS qualifying applicants may be eligible for an adjusted range to reflect an additional 6.95%.

The State of Oregon provides a generous benefit package, which includes:

• Family health, vision, and dental insurance
• Vacation, sick leave, and 11 paid holidays
• 21 days paid military leave for national guard and reserve components
• Optional short and long-term disability
• Term life insurance
• Fully paid retirement program
• Oregon Saving Growth Plan
• Flexible spending accounts for health and childcare
• And more

About the Process – What to Expect

• After the application deadline, a recruiter will review submissions for education and experience to identify candidates who best fit the minimum qualifications and requested skills.
• Top candidates will be referred to the hiring manager.
• The hiring manager will review your application and schedule interviews.
• Interview will be held with a panel of stakeholders who have completed panel assessment training. Scores will be determined based on predetermined questions and scoring guides. Preferences points will be applied in compliance with relevant laws and bargaining agreements. There may be multiple rounds of interviews.
• Final candidates will have a background check, PREA check, and reference checks.
• A Classification and Compensation analyst will review the Workday Application of the successful candidate to determine starting wages. Learn more about Equal Pay.
• A job offer will be extended through Workday to the successful candidate. Congratulations, and welcome to the team!

Requirements for Employment

The successful candidate for this position must pass a Criminal Justice Information Systems (CJIS) fingerprint-based background check and maintain CJIS eligibility. Due to CJIS requirements related to system access, there may be some felony convictions that could disqualify you for this position. However, having a felony record does not exclusively restrict you from being considered as an applicant. CJIS clearance is done at the conditional job offer. If you have questions about whether or not your criminal record could disqualify for you, please contact the recruiter for more information.

Additional Information – Please monitor your Workday and email accounts. You may be contacted through Workday or have additional tasks to complete.

Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging (EDI&B) is embedded in the Department of Corrections core values. The department strives to be a model employer committed to promoting diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. Ensuring legal compliance, efficiency, and exceeding expectations to deliver the best public services.

We are proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran or protected veteran status, genetic information and other legally protected characteristics. Additional information can be found from The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) Know Your Rights.

The Oregon Department of Corrections is responsible for complying with the Federal Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA 42 U.S.C. 1997). PREA prohibits the Oregon Department of Corrections from hiring, promoting, or contracting with anyone, (that will have direct contact with residents), who has engaged in, been convicted of, or been civilly or administratively adjudicated for engaging in sexual abuse in confinement settings. Learn more about PREA.

Eligible Veterans and Oregon National Guard servicemembers (current and former) who meet the qualifications of the position will be awarded candidate preference. For more information, please visit Veterans Resources. Please note – if you are a veteran, you will receive a task in Workday to upload your documents immediately after you submit your initial application. You will have up until 24 hours after the posted application deadline to submit the appropriate documentation.

The State of Oregon does not request or require your age, date of birth, attendance or graduation dates from an educational institution during the application process.

Questions

If you have questions about the position, selection process, or need accommodations to participate in the recruitment process please contact the recruiter and reference the requisition number.

Recruiter: Kelli Ketchum, [email protected] 

Reference Number: Req-208725

• Workday will timeout after 15 minutes of inactivity. You may lose progress on your application.
• Workday performs weekly maintenance Friday evenings, and the system may be down for several hours.
• ODOC does not offer visa sponsorship. Within three days of hire, applicants will be required to complete an I-9 and confirm authorization to work in the United States.
• This applicant list may be used to fill future vacancies. Application information may be used throughout the entire selection process. This process is subject to change without notice.
• This announcement is intended as a general descriptive recruitment guide and is subject to change. It does not constitute either an expressed or implied contract. The pay and benefits on all announcements may change without notice.