Deciding on a job in dialysis

Mistorri · Dec 23, 2004

I know that nurses in renal and dialysis LOVE what they do! I am curious as to what you look for in a job. How do you feel about on-call? I speak to new grads, and wanted to give them some tips to consider when looking at dialysis positions.
Thanks!

Well, either you hate dialysis or love it. No in between. Not many nurses like being on-call. Although there are the exceptions. I personally look for stability, good hours, good pay, and possiblity of staying a long time with a company. Tips for new grads on dialysis positions: first of all, you will come to love the patients, but as most nurses know, dialysis patients are some of the most demanding of all patients. I understand why. They deal with so much depression, pain, cramps on when on treatment, oftentimes a patient will come in overloaded with fluid and will be "pulled" so dry that they pass out during tx and vomit, and cramp. They have to be rehydrated with Normal Saline immediately. They often leave feeling very tired and need to rest. You have to have a lot of patience with these people. They need it. I loved my dialysis patients. I would still be on the job but the company was too cheap and treated the staff like so much dirt. You cannot keep good nurses if you treat them badly. You will always meet the patients who try to control the treatment you plan for them. They will tell you to wash your hands even if you just washed them. They will tell you how to dress and secure their graft, fistulas, or IJ's. They have to feel some kind of control over an out of control disease process. Just bite your tongue and let them feel they have some kind of control. That is unless it means they could have some terrible problem such as an infection brought on by how they treat the IJ site or something. Then it is patient teaching time. There is a lot of that too! Good luck to New Grads!

NEPHRONRN · Jan 8, 2005

dialysis is the most rewarding and complete for of nursing

first and formost is teaching, 98 percent of your day is education

almost everything your pts will know you will teach.

second- you will perform duties of an icu,med-surg and emergency rn

and last you will learn caring and compassion in new way and

you will develop and very thick skin and become and tough but loving

patient care advocate

this is why i enjoy my work as a dialysis rn

its th best:)