Expected salary for new dialysis RN-with no experience

patadney · Oct 15, 2001

I am surprised that dialysis pay is so low around the country.It is a specialized area and you need years of experience to supervise in this area.It sounds like you are working under unsafe conditions.People can die there. The hardest part about working in dialysis units is that they are run by techs. If you are supervising,you should not be carrying a patient load as well. In Arizona where I wintered,the techs could not connect a pt to the machine until an RN had doublechecked the dialyzer,prescription,bath and attempted wt loss. Another unit had 2 techs double check before the pt even came in. Generally,however,the techs decide who will run for the full tx time,who will sit where,etc. and the RN is so busy running naround giving iv meds that she is unaware that these deciusions have been made.Lately, I have enjoyed doing acutes. The pt are sicker, but I have more autonomy. Good luck in finding the right job for you.

aiki · Oct 17, 2001

:eek: hi to all r.n. i didn't know that dialysis nurses are paid less compared with nurses of other specialties.in my country, philippines they aren't paid that much.it's the same with nurses in the wards, of course depending on the no. of years of experience but the advantage is, you get free training in a big nephro hospital. i'm also new with dialysis department and i enjoyed it very much. the work is routinary but you have to be very careful with the patient's complains, you should be technically skilled with the machine andmost importantly, have universal precautions.

i like this forum, it's gives me a lot of insight and i can also posts my concerns.thank you!!!:)

misti_z · Oct 18, 2001

I do not work HD but on a renal floor...........from what I hear though a new RN to the dialysis unit would be paid $16.50. Which is almost $2.00 more than what they start a new grad RN out at.

Flockone · Oct 30, 2001

I have many years critical care experience and several months ago signed on with a dialysis company per diem with no experience for 20.00 her hour and 22.00 per hour after 5 pm.

tfur4jc · Jan 5, 2002

New hire with a dialysis company here in Oklahoma, to start $15/hr with a raise to follow training. Not too shabby! However, I am a ICU/CCU nurse with 7 years exp. I am not sure if that went into play with my salary consideration or not.

Now I am just hoping I like this specialty!! Doh! ; )

TracyB,RN, RN · Jan 9, 2002

I'm in the 'burbs, south of Chicago & just started in Dialysis this week. I am making $16.00 per hour, while local hospitals are paying new grads 18 -19 per hour.

The few dollars less per hour is so worth it to me. Lower pt loads, regular hours, Sundays & holidays off. :)

I HAVE FINALLY FOUND MY NICHE WOO HOO

hiker · Jan 28, 2002

"Franky", humnbird- where the heck have ya beeeen?! This be KT, Katie here, just happened to ck out the stuff on dialysis nsg., as I am thinking about a switch, and found ya here! just wanted to say Hi! (BTW, I had NO idea dialysis nurses made such crummy $. Sounds like many like it though-what to do, what to do... I am havin a wee bit of a job search crisis. Please reply on here, humnbird. I've missed you and your wit. The other site is now requiring registration, which is probably a good thing-less sniping, but less lively, too! You take care!

Kim Reyes · Feb 18, 2002

I'm an LVN living in Silicon Valley, Ca (San Jose area) ---with approximately 11 years dialysis experience.

I've done Burn Unit Acutes - ICU Acutes - CCU Acutes and Chronic Outpatient Clinic and cross trained in CAPD.

I'm making $23.08 and our union is attempting to negotiate a raise.

clorinda_clores · Jul 6, 2002

Hi 2 all! Im a dialysis nurse offered 4 a post in tennessee 4 $13.00 during training....

wif411 · Jul 7, 2002

I am a RN with 16 yrs of experience in telemetry, med-surg, and geriatrics. I started in dialysis 3 yrs ago at $16.00 per hr. Now I am working in acute unit in small hospital---contracted through same company I started with. I am at $18 now and up for raise for 3 yr anniversary.

Dialysis is like no other nursing I have done. It requires more involved skills than telemetry. By this I mean, I was prepared for telemetry fresh out of nsg school. I learned no dialysis skills in nsg school other than A&P.

It took 1yr for me to feel comfortable with dialysis skills.

It combines all the main systems--cardio, pulm, etc.

Good Luck:rolleyes:

patadney · Jul 11, 2002

In general,machines are disinfected daily and disinfected with bleach solution weekly and pt with communicable diseases (MRSA,hepatitis,VRE are either dialyzed in an isolation rm or apart from other pt and the machine used is the one at the end of the line.I think that's pretty standard.

babs_rn · Aug 2, 2002

I work for a Davita facility and I was paid according to my actual years of nursing experience. And they trained me - including two separate weeks of classroom theory training. I think they realize that you're not going to get good quality nurses (and CCU experience DOES help - mine is certainly appreciated when patients start going bad) at a lower level of pay. It's a fact of life I think not too many companies realize: if you pay more, you get to be a little choosier.

Babs