New Grad Dialysis RN Training Programs - Experiences?

MJB2010 · Jan 23, 2012

If you are in an area where new grad jobs are hard to come by, I would take the dialysis job. They have excellent training. You will develop excellent assessment skills. After working in dialysis there are different paths you can take, you could work on a medical floor, work in acute dialysis, or do something totally different. Dialysis patients have a lot of complex comorbities so you will become familiar with diabetes, congestive heart failure, renal failure, and a whole variety of medical patients. It is very specialized, but you will give meds, iv antibiotics, and code patients. I recently left dialysis to go into hopsital nursing and I scored several interviews. Mostly on medical and renal floors, but I chose a surgical floor which will be new.

Sometimes you have to take what you can get until you get what you want. I actually loved working in dialysis, I just hated the 16 hour shifts and not all clinics torture their staff that way.

Pearl8178 · Jan 24, 2012

If you are in an area where new grad jobs are hard to come by, I would take the dialysis job. They have excellent training. You will develop excellent assessment skills. After working in dialysis there are different paths you can take, you could work on a medical floor, work in acute dialysis, or do something totally different. Dialysis patients have a lot of complex comorbities so you will become familiar with diabetes, congestive heart failure, renal failure, and a whole variety of medical patients. It is very specialized, but you will give meds, iv antibiotics, and code patients. I recently left dialysis to go into hopsital nursing and I scored several interviews. Mostly on medical and renal floors, but I chose a surgical floor which will be new.
Sometimes you have to take what you can get until you get what you want. I actually loved working in dialysis, I just hated the 16 hour shifts and not all clinics torture their staff that way.

Wow, Thank you so much for that info! I am really excited! And congratulations on your new Hospital job.. Good Luck! :yeah:

jtmarcy12, BSN, RN · Jan 25, 2012

Hello all,
I'm reading a lot of posts about how it may be a bad move for a New Grad RN to start their career in Dialysis because it is very specialized. However, there seem to be more "New Grad Dialysis RN Training Program" opportunites available and it sounds like a great program to gain some experience. If anyone has been through, or is going through this New Grad Dialysis program, can you please share your experience?
Has anyone been able to make a transition from a Chronic Dialysis setting to a hospital/acute setting (Acute Dialysis, Med-Surg, Tele, etc) with that new grad experience?
I would love to hear your feedback, advice, & thoughts. Thanks!

Congratulations on finding a possible job!. One thing I want to say, beware of the Techs who work at these facilities they can be very rude. Most of them have worked there for years and some feel they "know it all" so don't want an RN telling them what to do. You have to be firm and not be afraid of them. Everyone that I have met who worked at these facilities have had to deal with "attitude problems". You are there for a reason. These techs have the same opportunity as anyone to return to school and get a better education and not take their frustrations out on an RN and point out the RN's short comings. God Bless you I wish you the very best.:hug:

MJB2010 · Jan 25, 2012

What JTMARCY says is 100% correct. I had one tech that kept pushing me and pushing me and the clinic manager did nothing about it. I had to put my foot down, and finally she got the idea I wasnt taking her crap. They know a lot about dialysis and you want them on your side because their experience is needed, BUT they do not understand the nursing part of how things can affect multiple systems and cause other medical issues.

CNAs and techs in the hospitalsd do this to new nurses too. They are just testing you. Be firm and put your foot down, but try to make nice too. Having great techs can make your day much nicer. After the first month or two they all came around but one. So it gets better. Being new anywhere is hard, but you know what you know and you need to trust your gut.

zorabanks · Jan 26, 2012

Hi Great Question,

I have been an RN for about 3 years in Skilled Nursing/Nursing Home. I would advised you to NOT go into Long Term Care/Skilled Nursing/Nursing Home Facility as a new grad. You will NOT received more that 3-7 days orientaion and just get thrown out on the floor! Most of what you will learn is how to give a medication. I would advise you to get a year of acute care experience in the hospital setting and then branch off to other areas of nursing. If you can not get into the hospital take the dialysis job. Jobs are hard to come by now days, even nursing jobs. I just took a job in a dialysis clinic, and am looking forward to learning a new area of nursing. In the nursing home/skilled nursing facilities, CNAs are always a problem! You always have to "prove" yourself. I don't know why people can't just work together without all the DRAMA! I hope that dialysis will be different for me. I started in nursing as a cna and beleive that everyone is an important part of the team, that we can learn from each other. I was a little disappointed to read some of the responses here about dialysis techs, but on well, that's nursing! Remember, whatever you do, try NOT to start your nursing career in a nursing home...once you do it is VERY hard to get a job in another area of nursing. God Bless. :-)

Hello all,
I'm reading a lot of posts about how it may be a bad move for a New Grad RN to start their career in Dialysis because it is very specialized. However, there seem to be more "New Grad Dialysis RN Training Program" opportunites available and it sounds like a great program to gain some experience. If anyone has been through, or is going through this New Grad Dialysis program, can you please share your experience?
Has anyone been able to make a transition from a Chronic Dialysis setting to a hospital/acute setting (Acute Dialysis, Med-Surg, Tele, etc) with that new grad experience?
I would love to hear your feedback, advice, & thoughts. Thanks!

Denroc72, BSN, MSN, LPN, RN, APN · Feb 1, 2012

Congratulations on finding a possible job!. One thing I want to say, beware of the Techs who work at these facilities they can be very rude. Most of them have worked there for years and some feel they "know it all" so don't want an RN telling them what to do. You have to be firm and not be afraid of them. Everyone that I have met who worked at these facilities have had to deal with "attitude problems". You are there for a reason. These techs have the same opportunity as anyone to return to school and get a better education and not take their frustrations out on an RN and point out the RN's short comings. God Bless you I wish you the very best.:hug:

I have worked in dialysis for 18 years, first as a tech, then as a nurse, and now I'm an Administrator for a dialysis clinic. SOME techs can be rude, but I have to also add that SOME nurses can be rude too. There are many fields of nursing where we come into contact with not-so-pleasant-to-work-with people, so to single out Techs in dialysis as rude people is not a fair judgement. I have to say it's all about who you work with, which includes the leadership of your manager as well as others. In my dialysis clinic I do not have any rude Techs or Nurses, everyone works well together. So it's possible to work in the field where the people are not rude and everyone respects each other's job role.

gardenwalker · Feb 16, 2012

I graduated with my ADN last June and am working in a dialysis clinic. They are training me to do the tech job before the nursing part so that I will know what dialysis is all about as well as being able to supervise the PCT'S.

Some nurses object to being trained this way, but I can definitely see the merits of this method. I have gained the respect of my techs and appreciate all their combined knowledge. Some people are rude no matter their job title; In my opinion, it's all about working together to help the patients. That being said, some of the patients with their co-morbidities are quite a handful as well.

All in all, I think dialysis is going to be a good fit and quite challenging. I will be supervising 15 patients per shift with 4 technicians.

Good luck to you Pearl8178! :nurse:

rachel33138 · Feb 27, 2012

Hi gardenwalker,

Are they paying you as a nurse?

gardenwalker · Feb 28, 2012

You bet they are rachel33138!

I am cannulating 2 pts and putting them on and off so far. Next week (I think) I start with my nursing preceptor.

ErikaG12 · Jun 10, 2012

Im in the same spot new grad rn ... But i guess its better than no experience right?? I had an interview and may have a possible opportunity to get a job in dialysis... Just ppl saying its a bad more makes one wonder..

appleman · Nov 3, 2012

its Great that you get a little experience in something then no experience @ All.. How does everyone like the dialysis unit?