Dialysis Clinical Today

[Thedreamer]

There are 68 tiles on the units roof. 72 blood collection vials on the blood cart. 13 Brownies left in the pan that the CN brought. 10 Dialysis machines with 9 patients. The paint is NOT peeling on the walls as some claim. Rotation was exactly 6 hours 30 minutes and 00 seconds, and not a second more.

All jokes aside, dialysis today was interesting at first. I was just amazed at how the machines actually functioned, and the nurses role in all of it. after the 3rd hour though, my preceptor had told me everything she knew as she stated and then set me free to wander. There really wasnt much else to do, I take really good notes and she covered everything I could think of. So the counting began.

Im usually quite excited about rotations, ER, OR, GI, Interventional radiology, ect. However, I wont be dissapointed if I am not assigned back to dialysis anytime soon :trout:

- :uhoh21: The dreamer who dreamt part of today

[llg, PhD, RN]

Were there patients? Were you able to talk with them? What did they tell you about their experience as a dialysis patient? What problems do they have sticking with their diet? How do they feel having to be hooked up to a machine to keep them alive? Are they scared? Does it hurt?

What about the financing ... Are there expenses that the insurance doesn't cover? How many of their patients are awaiting transplant?

I suspect there are a few things that you could have learned ... but you didn't.

[Thedreamer]

Some of the patients had really amazing stories... Most of them kept to thier diets as they told me, which I thought was amazing since my experience with diabetics is the opposite (for the younger ones). One patient in particular i felt badly for, he is 19 and has lupus. Kidneys shutting down, started dialysis wen. and we talked alot about how he felt and was dealing with it.

Another patient had been an ex con and was telling us about his drug trafficing days. It was definitely a learning experience to see the variety of patients on this unit.

I actually didnt even think about financial considerations. No one brought it up, and it never occured to me that it might be out of pocket. How much does that cost per treatment I wonder, and how does someone who cant afford it get the treatment they need?

[Daytonite, BSN, RN]

Did you pull the procedure manuals and read through them? What kind of reference books were available to look through? You know you're probably never going to spend the money to buy a textbook of renal diseases, but I'll bet there was at least one there. Was there any patient teaching materials that you could have reviewed? I would have explored every nook and cranny of the place.

[NeosynephRN]

Dialysis is very expensive I had a patient that spent 90k out of pocket in one year. There is soooo much to learn in diaylsis..water, complications, etc etc. Just thought I would give some insight on the cost!

[Thedreamer]

Kittens.

[queenjean]

I did a dialysis rotation, and my experience was similar to yours.

Yes, I talked to a couple of patients about financial considerations. Yes I read through the materials. Yes, I learned how to clean the machines, learned about the plumbing and chemical considerations, emergency procedures, etc.

Frankly, not many of the patients wanted to talk--it's not very private, and most of them felt the procedure was tiring, and they had a book or a movie, or wanted to sleep.

It was pretty interesting, but after the first couple of hours, it got a bit looooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooong.