CRRT training, how much is enough?

[Chisca, RN]

For those ICU nurses that manage CRRT in a shared role with dialysis staff ( dialysis sets up and takes down, ICU nurse manages therapy) how much training, in hours, did you receive? My institution thinks a 4 hour class is enough and I'm seeking others experience and opinions.

[detroitdano]

That's about what I got, if that. They took all the new hires down to dialysis, showed us a machine, gave us some paperwork and that was it for formal inservice. The next time I touched a machine it was hooked up to an ICU patient.

[NPOaftermidnight, MSN, RN, NP]

I wish we had a class! I took a CVVH patient with my preceptor on orientation and that was the extent of it. When I get one on my own I'm going to be a little lost.

[vera4130]

We get one shift training. There's a class, but it hasn't even been offered in a while. They typically start you off with the most stable CRRT patients and place an experienced CRRT nurse nearby. Seems to work well enough for us.

[ICUNurseStat]

We actually still do SLED but nearly always run it continuously. We take a 4 hour class and then do 3 shifts orienting to a pt on SLED with an experienced nurse. We set up our own machines and do all of the cleaning as well.

[beckster_01, BSN, RN]

I learned on orientation, but then they updated our machines so we got a class to learn that. In preparation for that we had to do an online evaluation of what we knew about CRRT which I failed miserably acne at that time I had never had a patient on it.

[ICUPrincessNurse]

We have a two day class for CRRT. It covers set up, modes, charting, I/Os and flow setting- the whole shebang. Then at least 4 hours with a CRRT provider to make sure we understand what we're doing in a practical setting.

In our unit there are only a specific set of CRRT providers. We've all been on the unit at least two years and have shown critical thinking skills and the ability to manage the sickest of the sick patients well. Same with IABP.