How to get out of dialysis nursing?

Tish88 · Mar 26, 2012

How about becoming a transplant coordinator or utilization review nurse for an insurance company.

Vespertinas · Mar 26, 2012

A transplant coordinator is NOT less stressful than a dialysis nurse. Sorry, I can't tone that down in good conscience to myself.

Tish88 · Mar 26, 2012

I would agree that a transplant coordinator is not a less stressful job, but it is an alternative for someone who has been in dialysis for a long time since they know the ins and outs of a renal patient.

madwife2002, BSN, RN · Mar 27, 2012

I too am done with Dialysis, I am looking for a job elsewhere and I do not want it to be in dialysis.

I am worn out, exhausted and fed up with the changes my company make on a daily basis, before giving the first changes a chance to work.

I am micro managed and fed up to the back teeth with the incompetent upper management who really do not know what they are doing.

Micro Management is such a negative issue, and it comes from an inability to do their own job properly. Now I have said that I can breath

I have applied for a job in management in a hospital, 32 hour job.

I have also looked at hospice as the many skills you acquire in dialysis can serve you well in a hospice environment.

How about looking into teaching-imagine sharing all your dialysis experience especially as a lot of nurses fear renal patients

Marisette, BSN, RN · Mar 28, 2012

Thanks to all of you for the suggestions.

Madwife2002, inexperienced micromanagement, is a very good description of what I'm feeling. I just coun't see it.

I would love a job in teaching. I have a BSN, but not a masters and teaching jobs are hard to come by.

This is such a tough job market. I see jobs that I want to apply for but they are registry or as needed jobs. I need to

work at least 32 hrs and have health insurance, so I don't apply. I'm willing to take a $10 pay cut, and would love to work

32 hrs. I've looked into home care, but I'm just not good at driving the highways even with the gps. I'm willing to work

hard, without the politics and unrealistic expections that I see in dialysis. I know there is some stress in every job, but

the nursing turnover in my region is ridiculours. I'm so sorry, I stayed so long. I though it would be easier to get out. I

sometimes hear that nursing has so many opportunities, but I think once you stay too long in a specialty, a nurse like myself

is not marketable or attractive to future employers. I send out resumes and don't hear a word and I went on two interviews

and was basically asked "what else have you done". I don't understand because dialysis nurses do so much ie..iv skills, dressings changes, patient education, adjusting medications per algorithm, setting up machines, supervision of other health care workers, patient assessments, medication administration. Dialysis patients have so many other health care issues that the nurse must also understand and be able to address while taking care of the renal patient.

rogue_maverick · Mar 29, 2012

Thank you for posting this question and for the comments so far.

I'm fairly young in dialysis nursing, going 4 years. But as early as now, I've set my sights on being a renal unit's care manager in the next 5 or 10 years. Currently I'm one of the shift team lead in my workplace. (I'm currently in the Caribbean)

Inexperienced micromanagement is also a very hot issue in where I'm working. The operations manager of our center virtually has no clue on how to run a renal center, and it's so frustrating from the care manager down to the nurse assistants because very minor problems occur on a regular basis and management seems to not know what's actually happening.

I hope it doesn't come to a point that I will be in your position right now. I love dialysis, and my career goes with it.

DookieMeisterRN · Apr 5, 2012

What I hear being described here is not unique to dialysis nursing. These problems exist in every type of nursing except maybe private duty but then you have family members to deal with. There is no nursing specialty where you wont be "micro-managed". I'm trying to get INTO acute HD nursing from acute care bedside nursing to escape from the responsibility of being the maid, MD secretary, CNA, social worker, psychologist, referree, gourmet chef and nurse.

akosiba · Apr 7, 2012

aaawwww thanks for sharing this post, i have worked in the ICU for 5 yrs and am so ready for a change , was thinking about going into dialysis since is less physical and mental demanding, please correct me if am wrong?

loveu123 · Apr 22, 2012

Dialysis is not less physical and mental demanding. I work in a medsurg/telemetry with more complicated surgical patients and also pick PRN hours in our dialysis unit. Im always stressed out after working in our dialysis unit than I get stressed out on my regular unit. Dialysis has a lot of physical work especially with pushing machines and lifting acid and bicarb containers as well as moving or cleaning heavy patients(some of whom are amputated). It is also very mentally demanding due to the complications that can arise as well as the difficult personalities that our patients have. Dialysis is something that people either love or hate. i still love dialysis despite the craziness and that is why i still pick hours in our hospital unit ocassionally. Good luck and I hope you will like it.

NDXUFan · Apr 27, 2012

Dialysis is very demanding.

LJUN71 · Apr 28, 2012

Im new to dialysis, 6 months in after 15 yrs in Med-surg....It's busy, bit a different busy. It's growing on me!!! Trying to stick with it at least a year then maybe do float pool nursing in dialysis. I do love being off every Sunday though!!!!!!