dialysis nursing

nosonew, BSN, RN · Apr 7, 2005

Just make sure you have some great shoes, a great attitude and a flexible schedule! :) Dialysis is very hard work, physically and emotionally. And just know up front, these patients know more about their illness than the normal patient. And if they don't, they need to. It is a very specialized field, much like cardiology... and you will either love it or hate it. I love it. Good luck! And I am a Davita gal! :)

jnette, ASN, EMT-I · Apr 7, 2005

Dialysis is definaltely love it or hate it ! Very physically demanding, as well as emotionally.. and high stress. It's constant run, run, run.

Your clincal mgr. will be your best friend or your worst enemy, so choose wisely.

As for FMC, I work for this company, and unfortunately have nothing good to say about them. It's all about THEM and their profits. :stone

kdnynurse · Apr 12, 2005

I have been working as an LPN in a dialysis unit for over 3 years. I really do love it. Everyone is right though when they say it's physically demanding. Also you get very attached to your pt's which is good but very sad at times. My unit is a non-pofit organization which is great because everything comes back to our units. We have a very beautiful 12 station unit.

I would say you never know until you try it. It is definately an area of they don't teach you much about in school so every one that walks through the door starts out knowing about the same.

happymom · Dec 7, 2005

Looking for a job in hospital for dialysis.

How can I get information about hospitals in S. Califonira which has dialysis dept.?

Thanks

mtnmom · Dec 8, 2005

I just started a dialysis job this week in a local physician-owned clinic. So far I love it - our patients are wonderful and have a great camaraderie with each other and with the nurses, and vice versa. The nursing staff really works as a team. I have been an RN for 5 yrs with varied experience most recently in ER. I liked ER also but the dept I was in had some nasty politics, favoritism and I had a crappy schedule.

The dialysis machine has been a challenge to learn to thread but I am getting the hang of it. Now my biggest challenge is getting up in the wee hours after having my sleep patterns totally disrupted by having to work rotating nights/evenings over the past few months.

I really like having a stable schedule, though, with my Sundays off (and Saturdays for now - all we run is MWF). I have not had a complete weekend off since April so this will be heaven.

The patients are very accepting and like someone said, for the most part very knowledgeable and involved in their care. I get the feeling that I will get attached to some of them very quickly. But then again, that is one of the things that I like about this area of nursing.

Plus the technology, the pathophysiology, the complex psychosocial issues...there is a lot to like!

ch10 · Dec 11, 2005

Haemodialysis is a good specialty. I am a Senior Nurse in Haemodialysis in the UK. Part of my work is involved in patients transfers from the main unit to our satellite units. We have over 500 patients within the TRUST and still expanding. Also part of my brief is to ensure that access patency is monitored, dialysis adequacy is maintained, fluid assessment, referrals from various areas/pre dialysis clinics and acute sectors ie.failing transplant/CAPD and other "crash landers" within various hospitals.

We are also involved in plasma exchange, CVVHD, CRRT etc. So within haemodialysis there are various areas covered so it is not boring. Hard work though but equally satisfying.

ch10

TGIMN · Dec 12, 2005

Hi, I am consider looking into the field of dialysis nursing in an outpatient center. I have 12 years as an RN, worked both inpatient and outpatient - working in a stepdown telemetry unit currently. Have decided that I am really getting burned out working in the hospital. And I know I'm not alone Anyway would like to know what you dialysis nurses like about your job - fresenius is who I am interviewing with today. Thanks :)

People usually know right away if they like dialysis or not. so, when you hear people say, "You will either love it or hate it." I have heard that for years and it is usually true. I have been in dialysis off and on since 1994. I am one that loves it. It is a different kind of nursing than any other. There is always something to do and if you are not doing something then you should be, because there is always something to prepare for before shift change starts. It is always funny when the nurse managers bring the new employees in when all the patients are on the machine and every thing is nice and quiet. I believe the new people should get to watch shift change and have it explained to them before they take the job. I remember when I got my first job, I thought boy this looks easy enough, I believe I can do it.

Good Luck ! Unfortunately, dialysis is a growing area and if you like it there will always be work, and usually on first shift. However, it does start awful early.

TaraGenX · Jan 1, 2006

Hi,

So did you take the Dialysis job??

ch10 · Jan 15, 2006

Hi,
So did you take the Dialysis job??

I never left! Always worked in renal. Been in renal since 1978! Thanks for asking.

ch10

DDRN4me · Jan 20, 2006

Hi Jnette and all of you dialysis nurses! i feel really dumb asking this but is there any special skill set you would need to do this specialty? i have worked mostly in pedi and vna but have done some adult stuff, have seen shunts and brought pts to dialysis but have never actually learned much about the process. I do understand the purpose etc but thats about it..wouldnt want to apply for the job and say duuhhh, what do you really do! :rolleyes: :chuckle

Midwest4me · Jan 22, 2006

Hi Goldiloxrn---it's been awhile(April 2005) since you posted that thread---did you take the dialysis job and if so how do you like it? I'm an LPN who worked indialysis for about 5 yrs and also echo others' words: "you'll either love it or hate it". I'd be intersted in knowing if you took the plunge---my clinical manager used to say "once you start in the field it's hard to get out because it gets in your blood!!!":rotfl: I did manage to get out of it and often kick myself for doing so---the physical and emotional energy that is expended kept my weight down and my mind alert!

For Mgallant: I wanted to address your question of whether a certain "skill set" is needed for the field. The first thing that pops in my mind is "time management". To organize the schedules (of putting on and taking off the patients from their machine),trouble-shoot problems and RUN is all part of the time management.