[akai6]

Hola all!!

I am a dialysis nurse as well, as of Feb, when I took my state boards. I'll be in dialysis for 3 years in June, I was previously a tech. I recently switched over to the Acute side, and I absolutely love it! I am still in the clinic part time, as they are having difficulty finding a replacement for me.

But about acutes, I feel like I actually get to be a nurse, as opposed to just pushing meds and putting on patients. Even as a nurse I still take on my 4 patients and push meds for 12 patients on 2 shifts. Not to mention I do the AM water checks and am training a tech how to do them. Talk about overwhelming, oh and I still do assessments, where necessary and am a team leader. I stay busy!!

In acutes, I have more autonomy, and get to use my critical thinking as a nurse. Make decisions and communicate with the doctors, where they trust my knowledge. I do patients in the most critical conditions, including acute failures, people that come into the ER at 3am with a K of like 9, or even the opposite. I once ran a patient with a K of 2.9, and a glucose or 15, that was amazing. I love the adrenaline and the fact that it keeps me alert ( I have ADD as well). I still love the routine of the clinic and wouldnt mind working there part time in the event they were in a pinch. But acutes is definitely my calling!!

[corinej2007]

How much did your pay increase in the clinical setting. What is the pay difference in the hospital. I have been a LVN 1 1/2 years was once a tech and have been in dialysis for a total of 3 years I will soon be a RN just got my acceptance letter to day interested in the pay change.

[bluefabian]

This is hard to tell because pays differs according to hospitals and overseas/local. I am moving out into an overseas setting, so the pay is definitely huge compared to what I am making now.

Dialysis nurse are greatly in demand, mostly by those small satellite centres or private run units. With the increase of patients with ESRD every year, it has become a GOOD business. Places are even hiring nurses fresh after graduation with on job training.

[rw0782]

Hey everyone. What's wrong with Davita? I just applied there.

Also, I would LOVE to be bored. I work on a cardiac floor and have for a year. I feel like crying every time I have to go to work because I hate it so much. Someone is always going bad on you; too much to know and it is VERY stressful...

[Natkat]

Originally Posted by rw0782

Hey everyone. What's wrong with Davita? I just applied there.

Also, I would LOVE to be bored. I work on a cardiac floor and have for a year. I feel like crying every time I have to go to work because I hate it so much. Someone is always going bad on you; too much to know and it is VERY stressful...

I just switched from chronic to acute and I LOVE it. I'm not bored at all. I bring things to do and stay busy the whole time.

Yesterday I went back and helped out at the chronic unit I used to work in and hated it the whole time. I kept thinking "I don't miss this one bit!"

The nurses there kept trying to find reasons that chronic was better than acute and none of their arguments held water with me. They argued "well, what about having to travel from one place to another? What about having to go out on call? Don't you hate having to go to different places all the time? I would think the time would pass so slowly." To me it's the difference between night and day and I hope to stay in acute for as long as I can. Not having to run around like a chicken with its head cut off, not feeling rushed by patients, not dealing with several crises at the same time more than makes up for being on call and having to work different places all the time. To me, it's more than a fair trade off.

My preceptor and I were working together the other day. The nurse on the unit came in all frazzled, saying she had 9 patients and no tech. After she left the room my preceptor looked at me and said "I wouldn't trade places with her for anything." I have to say I agree completely.