Considering Dialysis Nursing...Advice Please!

nursefiggy · Jun 9, 2004

:) I have been an RN working in the hospital setting for 13 years - mostly in pediatrics and PICU, and lately med-surg. I am tired of the entire "hospital experience." I am considering training to become a hemodialysis nurse. I have been in the hospital setting so long, and I'm a little afraid to venture out and try something else - but I really want to! I'd like some comments from current dialysis nurses and their experiences compared to any previous areas they have worked. I have no idea what being a dialysis nurse entails and what the actual day-to-day work is like. Thanks for your input!

Dialysis can be very challenging, especially when you are new. It is also very rewarding. If you work in a chronic out pt setting you have an oppertunity to get to know your pts and can give them continuity of care.

As a nurse, you would have to learn to administer the dialysis tx first. There would be a curiculum to learn and some tests to pass. Then you have to learn to place the needles and given the tx. The hardest thing is learning to string the machine. It just takes repetitian.

Once you have that mastered, you would be placed in charge over several technicians. You would round with the drs, do dose changes of certain meds according to the pt's labs, do catheters and meds along with reams of paper work. Once you get in a routine, the work is not bad! If you have med surge mastered, then this will be a walk in the park. Most clinics open around 5 am so the hours start early. Our RNs usually work 5:30 am to about 6 or 6:30 pm three days a week.

I would recommend dialysis. I definately prefer it to LTC!

Good Luck!