curious about dialysis...

[PlourdieRN]

Hello fellow RNs!

I am an RN who just finished my first year of practice as a charge nurse for the LTC and skilled units of a nursing home. I've had dreams of moving on to a med/surg hospital unit to continue my career onward to becoming an ICU nurse... but openings are still scarce and I'm getting pretty antsy to get some more acute care experience under my belt (to say nothing of needing better pay!). In my quest for positions, I came across an ad for a dialysis staff nurse for a private company.

I have to admit I know very little about this field - but I imagine I would be able to further improve my assessment skills... and maybe it would be a position I would find challenging (which I love!) and would help make me a better candidate for hospital positions in the future (which I need!).

I'd love to hear from some dialysis nurses here - please let me know what the job is like and how you feel about it, and whether you think it's a good move!

[Fiona59]

PMing you

[ddunnrn]

I can't speak as a dialysis nurse, but I am an RN who is currently a dialysis patient. I have observed the staff at my dialysis center and have a pretty good relationship with them in terms of them answering my nursing-related questions, and more job-specific questions. The head nurse there even suggested that I might try to get part-time employment there, but while I am on dialysis, I don't feel I have the appropriate time or energy to put into learning a new specialty.

I have observed that 90% of what the staff does (techs, LPN's, and RN's) is routine: set up machines, hook up patients, take VS, adjust treatment according to pt. response, chart on standardized clipboard charts, etc. The other 10% is dealing with unusual situations, potentially even life-threatening situations (I've seen a couple of mini-codes there, but they call EMT for anything really serious). The RN's also have a bit more paperwork (treatment plans, etc.). There aren't a lot of p.o. meds to give, but several meds are given IV in the dialysis tubing.

As a psych nurse, I think I could handle the routine after an appropriate class, and orientation, and I think an LTC nurse would even have somewhat of an advantage over me, being more used to a variety of chronic medical conditions. I can't speak for all dialysis clinics, but the one I go to is mostly geriatric, with a sprinkling of maybe 25% younger people (I'm in my late 50's, so I'm not far away myself).

Chances are, if you apply and get accepted to go through training, at least you'll be getting paid for that time, and you'll learn something in the process. I say go for it. If you don't like it, you might think about working in corrections, if there are opportunities nearby.

Dave Dunn, RN

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