Chronic hemodialysis RN working conditions

tizmonster · May 4, 2004

Hi, I hope some dialysis RNs can help me gather info. in order to decide if I should enter the field of dialysis nursing. I do not have alot of experience (11 months) unfortunately not in med. surg, or critical care. Most of my experience is in postpartum couplet care. I recently went on an interview and the nursing director told me the nurse to patient ratio is 1:10. What about the new mandatory patient ratios? Dont those apply to chronic hemodialysis centers? What is the pay scale in the LA area? Eventually I am considering going into acute dialysis nursing after getting one year of experience in the chronic unit. I would also appreciate info. on acute dialysis nursing working conditions and pay scales in Los Angeles. Thanks

@ this moment - the ratios are not applied to outpatient clinics. The other thing you have to remember is you have a number of patient care techs that are supporting the nurse in their work. This is definitely a team environment, and a lot of consideration has to take place in the process. In dialysis, the health care team is comprised of nephrologist, clinical nurse manager, sometimes a clinical coordinator, charge nurse, with staff nurses reporting to the charge, as well as patient care techs. The number of RN's per clinic depends on the number of stations in the clinic. You also work very closely with social workers and renal dietitians. The major objective is to maintain the health of ESRD patients and help them keep themselves out of the hospital. A lot of education of the family and patients is required. It's very much a bonding experience with the patients and their families. As an RN - you are pivotal in your ability to pre assess the patient, read their lab results and determine - with the team, a care plan that is personalized to that patient's current state. You administer meds, direct the techs in their work with you and your assigned patients. The patients are usually scheduled in shifts. Hopefully, the person that is planning the day is taking into consideration that changeover (where your putting patients on and taking patients off their dialysis machines) is staggered. In acute nursing, you can be working in a room where patients are brought to you for dialysis - or you could be taking a dialysis machines to the units and attending to the patient @ their bedside. Some patients - due to their condition require a slower process than those in a chronic setting. Some acute settings are "floating in different hospitals" Pay is set up either on an hourly basis or a per treatment. Depends on the group. Dialysis is a great speciality. If you

need any help - don't hesitate to ask. You might want to consider Peritoneal.

A lot of the managers I speak with love to train - and it's a growth area for a number of clinics.