Why are dialysis nurses paid less?

[luv_acute_HD]

We have to have in depth knowledge of dialysis! Ex:1)the effects of dialysis on the body 2) the "normal" abnormal lab values of these patients 3) we dialyze patients in ICU who are already in very serious condition BEFORE we put them on the "machine" and it definitely takes expertise to "run" these patients.------------- There is so much to know to actually be a dialysis nurse----over and above the things we have already learned in nursing school. It seems to me, however, that lots of the time the pay is even less than a floor nurse---I have done both----Both jobs are extremely difficult and both jobs are equally important----I am not putting down the "floor nurse"--- I just want to know why it is difficult for us to be paid as well.------------------I also feel that being a dialysis nurse is a specialty------other specialty nursing offers a slight raise in pay, but not dialysis. As an acute dialysis nurse in my part of the country,,,,,,I have to accept a cut in pay,,,, so now I have went back to Med-Surg,,,,,,,,,because I refuse to accept the unfair cuts in pay.....I love acute dialysis nursing,,,,,especially in ICU,,,,but I choose not to do it,,,,,,,,because I know we deserve at least the same as other specialty nursing. I would appreciate feedback on this subject. I cannot be the only person who has noticed this. Thanks-------- E-mail me at: [email protected]

[ageless]

Originally posted by Brownms46

There is a shortage of dialysis nurses all over, and there are some places with travel contracts for Dialysis nurses. I have considered taking a position...but figured it would be a little too slow paced for me. But I do like the idea of not working on Sunday....AND 3 OR 4 days a week. What do most of you who work in this area love about it??

Too slow of pace?:chuckle :chuckle :chuckle

Where did that idea come from? Acute Renal Nurses are paid better in my area and work harder and longer hours than any other specialty I have met. They also work on Sundays. Most say they love the autonomy and the respect from the nephrologists they work and take call along side.

[TELEpathicRN]

Amen to that ageless!! I am an acute HD nurse and I know I work plently of Sundays!!!! Only the chronic nurses have Sundays off.

[fergus51]

Our dialysis nurses are paid the same as floor nurses. Only nurses with their specialty certification make slightly more than floor nurses. If the dialysis training was on the job they are paid at the same rate as everybody else (this also goes for nurses in any "specialty").

[wbsjenn]

I am a clinical coordinator of a large acute dialysis program. Our call pay is on top of the U.S. standard and I believe our salary is quite satisfactory for the jobs we do. As an acute nurse, I do not have the luxury of having all Sundays off. Acute dialysis treatments must be done no matter what day of the week it is. Dialysis nurses are "specialty" nurses and acute dialysis nurses are even more specialized. If I could, I would do this job for free. I love dialysis and have for my whole career. I cannot speak for all, but I went into nursing, and dialysis in particular, in order to provide care to those in need. It is my passion and while the money is good, I work in this field because I feel I make a difference in someone's life.

[beautifulyoyo]

I have recently come back into Dialysis after leaving to work on a transplant unit. I love dialysis, but I do find that the floor nurses assume that we are suppose to administer all their medication while their patients are on dialysis and it just doesn't work that way. We don't always have access to the computer system because we are contracted from an outside company. I do go above and beyond my scope of working in dialysis because I have been a floor nurse before, not all dialysis nurses have. So for all the floor nurses who think that we are suppose to administer your medications that's just not how it works. Some medications are dialyzed out and it just does not help the patient to receive those medications in dialysis. We don't mind giving your antibiotics but technically that is the floor nurses responsibility not the dialysis nurse. We look up the labs pertaining to our patients, and what affects them while on dialysis. As far as dialysis nurses getting paid less, I don't agree because we work around the clock sometimes because of critical patients coming to the hospital at all times of the night. So in the area where I live in New Orleans we do get paid a little bit more than floor nurses.

[3cdn1usa]

Our Dialysis nurse get paid the same as icu and or nurses which is slightly more than floor nurses. In my experience dialysis nurses do dialysis, period. They'll draw a ptt on a pt on heparin, they won't look up the labs or adjust the pump. I have written up many nurses for this to no avail. (non cc dialysis). They won't give meds if you don't send them to dialysis, nor will they call the floor to get them. They won't do dressing changes. The won't give pain meds, they call the floor and tell the nurse who is on that assignment to bring them down. They only take off orders that pertain to them at that very minute. Forget about calling the pharmacy or filling out the assesment sheet. No note unless the patient codes, and even then it's rare. I actually had a dialysis nurse call me on the floor and tell me i had to write a note about a patient that had a med reaction while in dialysis, I almost peed myself laughing. Thats my take on dialysis nurses. I'm sure they are not all like that, but in the facility where i work about 90% of them are. As far as knowing the effects of dialysis and lab values, that basic nursing stuff.

I know it has been many years since I did acutes, but we were contract employees. We did not work for the hospital but for a dialysis company ( I was with Gambro- tells you how long ago)We were only to give meds that pertained to dialysis i.e EPO, zemplar, venofer and some antibiotics. Our acute unit did NOT have access to pain meds. No tylenol there. We did assessments on our pts, but they were in a different section in Meditech, not in the shift assessment. We did PC drsgs nothing else. As an outside contract employee we could not take off orders unless it was pertaining to dialysis txs. As for knowing labs and such, how many times have we all seen the ER give a crap load of NS for hypotension, pre HD, then ohoh the pt is in fld overload. Now we need an emergent DUFF! Or as soon as the pt goes to the ER for extreme stomach pains and say they just need dialysis instead of actually assessing them. Not all pt woos are dialysis related. Some are, but not all.

Now the pt that had a med reaction, that is crazy and they should do a note on that.

Just my

[traveler RN]

I am also an acute/chronic and yes we are not allowed to give inpatient meds if they do not pertain to the tx. I can't tell you how many times a floor or an ICU nurse will get an attitude because of it. They see us coming and assume their wokload is lighter. What I really love is when they tell me the last nurse did it and my response is adamant. In order for it to be consistent, I let the unit manager know. And I love it when a doc will tell me a pt. needs 3-4 liters off with a bp of 85/40 and he/she is not the neph., that's my fanny on the line. As I sit on call again this week and off day in am and back on call on the next workday. Calgon, take me away!

[workingmomRN]

I've been in dialysis for 10 years & it definitely is not just basic nursing stuff. When I first started, I thought it was the hardest job I had ever done. It still is the hardest job I've ever done at times, but I can't see myself doing anything else. I work in a chronic outpatient facility & our pay is slightly higher than a regular staff RN. In the past there was a bigger difference between our pay & a hospital RN but not so much anymore.

[island40]

I didn't realize that Dialysis RN were being paid less - in Iowa paramedics and LPN can preform dialysis treatments with the supervision of an RN so when I worked the unit I had my own 5 patients running and would take them off and put on another set of 5 during my shift as well as supervise the runs of the other LPN and paramedic. The LPN and paramedic got paid less - not me, not that Iowa pay is great or anything $19/hr is not going to make me rich quick.

[island40]

The staff that was qualified to perform acute hemodialysis was all RN staff and got paid the same as any other RN in the hospital. LPN and paramedic used only for chronic ESRD clients.

[soulofme]

I didn't realize that Dialysis RN were being paid less - in Iowa paramedics and LPN can preform dialysis treatments with the supervision of an RN so when I worked the unit I had my own 5 patients running and would take them off and put on another set of 5 during my shift as well as supervise the runs of the other LPN and paramedic. The LPN and paramedic got paid less - not me, not that Iowa pay is great or anything $19/hr is not going to make me rich quick.

This is 2 ...I don't know what 2 say... I'd rather watch a killer/slasher movie than have your job...& I hate those kinds of movies...

[chinga2372]

I have been a nurse for almost 19 years and I have served the academe, the floor,the ER, the OR, the Birthing Unit and the Nursing Homes, my current specialization is at chronic dialysis now serving for 2 years . WHEN A NURSE, YOU ARE ALWAYS A NURSE no matter what and where you are. We are NURSES because we know we do care for people that needs our help, expertise and empathy. Dialysis nurses in our state are well compensated, we do not have doctors that are constantly in the floor to oversee our activities. We consider ourselves confident and competent in saving lives not only during treatments but whenever patients have almost coded, we revive them, we do head to toe assessments and we are educators for their compliance to their meds, diet, and tx. We give IV antibiotics, and IV meds to recuperate ailing lab values. We do whatever floor nurses do, Dialysis Nursing is nursing beyond the books you learned in school, it is a kind of nursing where patients become your friends and your family.