Mule Creek State Prison Registered Nurse Molly Coyle believes her job is about showing up when people most need help.
As a registered nurse (RN) in the Triage and Treatment Area (TTA) and Minor Procedure Room (MPR), Coyle works where emergencies can unfold without warning. Quick thinking can save lives. She has served with the state since 2020, but her path to correctional nursing was unexpected.
“To be honest, I initially wanted to be a NICU RN,” Coyle said.
During a major life transition, Coyle began considering correctional nursing for its stability, benefits and familiar environment. Her ex-husband and son both work as correctional officers. What began as a practical career move became a true calling.
“After working here, I realized that I loved being a TTA/MPR nurse,” Coyle said. “I have been responding to emergencies since I was 19 years old. It’s what I live for.”
Professional life of emergency response
Emergency response has shaped much of her career. Before joining CCHCS, Coyle served on a fire department as an EMT.
She also worked as a certified nursing assistant, home health aide, medical assistant and phlebotomist. She spent 18 years as a phlebotomist at Sutter.
Those experiences prepared her for one of correctional health care’s most fast-paced nursing roles.
For nurses considering correctional care, Coyle’s advice is simple: prioritize safety.
“Always remember that you can’t help your patient if you’re injured,” she said.
Correctional nursing requires a different mindset than community health care, she said. While others may not understand, she feels supported working in the prison.
“Having worked in the public and in here, I feel safer in here,” she said. “I can push an alarm, blow a whistle, knock a phone off the hook, and correctional officers will come running to help me.”
She said successful correctional nurses must balance awareness with compassion. Patients still need medical care, she said, while staff remain alert to their surroundings.
Finding purpose
For Coyle, the most rewarding moments are those reaffirming her purpose.
“The days when I save someone’s life,” she said. “Even though others may think you’re ‘just a corrections nurse,’ you’re just as important as a nurse who works in a hospital.”
Her co-workers are another source of pride.
“My co-workers, who I spend some days 16 hours with, are like family,” she said.
Life outside work
Outside work, Coyle has a competitive equestrian background.
She began riding horses at 4 years old, competing in the quarter horse circuit, showing in Gilroy, Morgan Hill, Santa Clara and San Francisco’s Cow Palace.
In 1990, she won the Rex Nicholson and Sir Robinhood award at the Amador County Fair.
Family remains central to her life. Coyle is married to Tom Coyle, a senior lab assistant, who is a two-time Medal of Valor recipient for CDCR and a governor’s award honoree. Together, they have six children and 10 grandchildren.
“They are my pride and joy,” she said.
What began as an unexpected career move became a role Coyle has always been drawn to. For nurses like her, every emergency is a chance to make a difference.
Story by Amanda Spangler, Communications Analyst
Office of Public and Employee Communications
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