Chronic or Acute dialysis experience before doing traveling

BellaCerraRN · Sep 25, 2007

You graduated in May and you're a charge nurse!?! That's not good. I also graduated in May and like you, my first job is in a dialysis unit and I'm no where near ready to be a charge nurse. Our company takes it nice and slow, first learning the tech's job then the job of a secondary nurse and that's where I'll stay for at least 6 months if not a year.

Are you really willing and ready to put your licence on the line for the entire staff at this point in your career?

chill598 · Sep 26, 2007

Of course im in training because they cant just let me out on the floor on my own yet. I really didnt and still dont want to be a Charge Nurse right now and I really would like to be a floor RN on a dialysis unit, but I was told that as a RN in dialysis you will pretty much be charge. Most of the floor nurses are LPN and the RN does charge. No, I really dont want to put my license that I work so hard for on the line, and like I said before I will be in training for six months and in six months I was thinking about doing acute.

BellaCerraRN · Sep 26, 2007

ahhhh... that sounds better! I was just a little shocked, but it sounds like you just stated what they're doing with me a little differently is all. I'm glad I'm getting the fundamental training that I am because the techs are responsible for so much and if I don't know what they're doing and don't know how well they're doing it I'm not going to be comfortable being a charge nurse.

If possible I'd try to stick with the same company and do 6 of chronic and 6 of acute. My company does both, they have 2 free standing clinics, 1 in each neighboring town close to the hospitals and each hospital has a renal unit where our nurses handle the dialysis, I believe there are 4 on each shift. We're often called in to cover shifts and when an opening arrises, we're given first shot at it. If you could do that it would look better, but I really don't think that in our first year or two of nursing we're going to get knocked for changing jobs, I mean, how the heck are we going to know what fits us as nurses until we try it and why would they want us in a position we don't want to be in? I know for me clinicals did NOTHING to show me where I'd fit and I already knew I didn't want to do Ped's or OB.

Good luck to you!

lisafelicity4 · Oct 3, 2007

I'm an RN who wants to learn dialysis and can't get hired without experience. How do you get experience if no one will hire you?:uhoh21:

Ruby Vee, BSN · Oct 4, 2007

hi,
i recently graduated from nursing school this past may and i have recently starting working as a charge nurse at a dialysis center that treats patients with chronic renal failure. i would like to do travel nursing as a dialysis nurse, and i was told that you need at least one year of experience before you can travel. my plan is to do chronic dialysis nursing for six months to learn that side of dialysis and i planned on doing six months of acute dialysis to work more with patients that are sicker. do you all think that this is a wise decision to do before traveling or should i just stick with chronic? will it look bad on my resume to just stay for six months? please help!

most travel companies want you to have at least two years of experience. i'd suggest one year of chronic and one year of acute; then travel.

i know some companies will take some nurses with just 1 year of experience, but those nurses haven't worked out real well at my hospital. do yourself a favor and get the experience first. good luck!

penem10 · Oct 4, 2007

I would recomend at the minimum 6 months of med-surg experience. There is nothing like on the job experience when your a new RN. Most units I know of like this minimu also, ICU or ER experience would be even better.

raihan · Oct 14, 2007

Hi,
I recently graduated from nursing school this past May and I have recently starting working as a Charge Nurse at a dialysis center that treats patients with chronic renal failure. I would like to do travel nursing as a dialysis nurse, and I was told that you need at least one year of experience before you can travel. My plan is to do Chronic dialysis nursing for six months to learn that side of dialysis and I planned on doing six months of acute dialysis to work more with patients that are sicker. Do you all think that this is a wise decision to do before traveling or should I just stick with chronic? Will it look bad on my resume to just stay for six months? Please Help!

hi. its raihan 4rom pakistan. i think if u have interest u should.

theresa_b · Feb 9, 2008

I'm a Travel Dialysis Nurse and would like to respond your question of acute vs chronic experience.

Firstly, it doesn't matter which side of dialysis you gain experience in other than finding out which you like better. You, as a traveller, choose which assignments you want and there are plently of both acute and chronic assignments to choose from. Having experience in both will give you more options in locations, but you don't NEED experience in both to get hired.

Having said that, you DEFINITELY need at least one year, preferably two years in any specialty before you start to travel.

It is VERY demanding, and you need a firm knowledge base before you walk into a facility cold. Remember, in travel there is virtually no such thing as orientation. Every clinic is different and you need to concentrate on facility policies and proceedures, frequently learning new machines, etc for each new assignment, so there is no time to learn new things about dialysis. Not that you DON'T learn new things along the way, but your knowledge base and experience need to be very strong. You have to have alot of confidence in what you are doing.

I hope you stick with your plan of staying in your current position for at least a year and then contact and agency and find an assignment close to home for your first one. If you like it, you will be on your way!

Good luck in your new carreer and in your future plans!

Theresa

bluefabian · Feb 11, 2008

Well, since I am not from US.. I can't really understand what travel means. I read about that a lot here. Anyone care to explain?

First of all, I really think that people trying dialysis should at least have some experience in either medical surgical, or critical care the least. Definitely not for fresh graduates. The company that I am working with now are taking in students from nursing schools even before they graduate and train them on the job - for the fact that shortage of nurses is acute or turnover is high. The job may be routine but once you get inside the deeper care like blood biochemistry, relationship between cardiovascular/diabetes diseases with chronic renal failure (which is the main culprit here)... it's hard imagining why they mean so much or how something came to this effect if you don't have any prior exposure to such conditions.

A few more years doing this, then being alone should be fine. I have been a few times assigned to cover for shortages in some places and I can tell you the experience and practice can be overwhelming.

Tish88 · Jun 19, 2008

I have to agree with bluefabian, I think you should have a good nursing background prior to doing dialysis -- particularly in ICU or ER, especially if you want to do acute treatments.

When I started doing dialysis 20 + years ago, I had to have ICU experience before I could get a job doing acute dialysis.

I think new grads in a chronic unit is unsafe. There is so much to monitor with each patient and I don't feel a new grad has developed those skills.

raihan · Jul 11, 2008

ooooh; the experience of dialysis is very interesting. i think its not a job but an art of welfare.u have to volantier yourself for dialysis patients. thanks and good luck for all:chuckle