[Nursing News]

STRETCHING A LIFELINE
Billings Gazette, MT - 36 minutes ago
As the number of nephrology nurses is declining, the number of dialysis patients who need their care is rising. Across the country, 3000 nephrology nursing ...

[oramar]

the article did not come up when I clicked on link but I typed in nurses to search and got it that way, good article

[mo-mo]

No offense to the two nurses there in the Sheridan unit but... 2 RNs in a 4-station unit(Pt to RN ratio = 2:1)...3 DAYS A WEEK?!?!? Sound like heaven! OK, everybody, I'm packin' my things and moving to Sheridan Wyoming!
YEEHAAAW!!!

[TheCommuter]

What type of education, certification, or credentials would a person need to earn in order to be a nephrology RN?

It only makes common sense that the incidence of dialysis patients is on the rise, as we have millions of people in the U.S. with uncontrolled diabetes. If diabetes is not tightly controlled, renal dysfunction is one of many possible outcomes.

[traumaRUs]

I'm an APN in two dialysis units and am one of those that doesn't like it at all. The patients are chronically ill, usually noncompliant and that is what got them to dialysis, demanding and whiny.

I must say that I have had an unusually horrid day today and I really just want to quit now and never go back. It is no wonder there is such an acute shortage - what a horrible job.

[Natkat]

The problem with being a dialysis nurse is that's all you can do. It's difficult to go on to something else once you're there because you lose your other skills.

Dialysis has a long learning curve, but then once you learn it it's same-old, same-old every day. For some people that's a plus. For others it's not enough of a challenge.

And the pay is not that great. I have a coworker who just graduated RN school and the most our clinic would pay her is $20 an hour, and she already has a year of experience as an LVN. Needless to say she's not staying in dialysis.

[traumaRUs]

Yes indeed, dialysis is boring. The nurses that seem happy here seem to like routine where personally I don't find it fulfilling nor particularly interesting.

[joannep]

I worked in a dialysis unit for 3 years, and nearly went insane with the boredom. I left and never regretted it. I found the patient's non compliant also and incredibly resentful that they were still on dialysis after X amount of years and no one was lining up to give them a kidney!

[oramar]

Originally Posted by traumaRUs

I'm an APN in two dialysis units and am one of those that doesn't like it at all. The patients are chronically ill, usually noncompliant and that is what got them to dialysis, demanding and whiny.

I must say that I have had an unusually horrid day today and I really just want to quit now and never go back. It is no wonder there is such an acute shortage - what a horrible job.

Bless you for trying. I have to say that dialysis patients have a tendency to be "challenging". I am not a dialysis nurse but have taken care of many patients that were on dialysis.(most of us have) Usually, nothing is right, nothing is good enough especially where the families are concerned. They usually require a patient care conference where we make sure everyone is on the same page as far as individual idiosyncrasies are concerned. Even little things like the fact that time of day and amount of time dialysis can take varies can freaks families and patient out. Just recently a patients minister came to visit and was quite indignant that patient was out having dialysis. He said, "but I was told he was back by this time everyday, I don't have time to make visits to empty rooms". I had to placate him with a smile on my face while thinking, "well of course everything in the world revolves around you and your schedule". By the way I did offer to arrange for him to visit at the dialysis unit but he had a bunch of church ladies with him and the unit would allow the ministers in but not half a dozen church ladies.

[oramar]

Originally Posted by mo-mo

No offense to the two nurses there in the Sheridan unit but... 2 RNs in a 4-station unit(Pt to RN ratio = 2:1)...3 DAYS A WEEK?!?!? Sound like heaven! OK, everybody, I'm packin' my things and moving to Sheridan Wyoming!
YEEHAAAW!!!

What I am used to seeing is out patient dialysis done by techs with nurse supervising several patients. I am not sure how many patients to technician. In patient done by RN with two/one ratio.