Dialysis instead of Med/Surg?

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Specializes in Dialysis.

I know that it isn't recommended to go into a specialty until after some years of experience has been obtained in med-surg but I am in desperate need of money! My old job where I worked as a Medical Assistant for quite some time has offered me a job with them as a dialysis nurse. Great right? Well not so much. Apparently I have to sign a contract for 3 years in working with them or otherwise pay a fine. Whilst dialysis may not seem very boring, that isn't so. Clients crash, have co-morbidities, and are aged anywhere from 18-80. I plan on doing med-surg in the future because eventually I want to work in critical care or the ED. I just wished I didn't feel so guilty about taking this job as my first one. Experience is still experience right? I've also had a hard time looking for a med-surg job because NYC isn't really new grad friendly.

Is the pay enough that if you get stuck in dialysis nursing forever you'll at least have a decent middle class life?

Specializes in Dialysis.

The pay can be very well over 3 digits as long as I continue to gain experience and/or further my education. The COO of the company is already anticipating me to become a nurse manager and possibly the director of nursing. I'm pretty sure that they might even pay for me to back to school for my DNP, but that would require another contract as well lol. On the positive note, I will be able to learn both major modalities of dialysis, including working in the acute care unit that we have in one of our centers (we have 4 in total, with 2 more coming soon). So I guess I will end up getting that "med-surg floor nurse feel". In the mean time, applying for per diem jobs doesn't seem like a bad idea either, once I get my regular work schedule in place.

Specializes in public health.

I think dialysis is fine for your first job. What I don't like is the 3-year contract that you have to sign. If it was me I would probably look elsewhere.

Honestly, while a 3 year contract may not be ideal, I would take it.

It sounds like a good job you would learn a lot from. Take it, if you want to look for per diem jobs as well, more power to you.

The pay can be very well over 3 digits as long as I continue to gain experience and/or further my education. The COO of the company is already anticipating me to become a nurse manager and possibly the director of nursing. I'm pretty sure that they might even pay for me to back to school for my DNP, but that would require another contract as well lol. On the positive note, I will be able to learn both major modalities of dialysis, including working in the acute care unit that we have in one of our centers (we have 4 in total, with 2 more coming soon). So I guess I will end up getting that "med-surg floor nurse feel". In the mean time, applying for per diem jobs doesn't seem like a bad idea either, once I get my regular work schedule in place.

This sounds great. If you can handle doing per diem stuff on the side then do it.

Specializes in Dialysis.

Thx for all the input guys. I'm currently working on getting my NJ license...I have some friends there who might have a strong connection to get me into the ER (6 months of paid training included). :)

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