truely frustrated and thinking of quitting

Specialties Urology

Published

I need help. I came to dialysis 4 months ago from ICU. The company I work for made lots of promises. They have failed miserably. They are horribly disorganized. They demote managers in a heartbeat. My clinic is now without one. And all of us nurses are at a 6 months or less experience. The have yet to give me my mid-orientation raise. They promised a raise when general employee raises came out, but I didn't get one. And there has really been no new employee education, and there has been no computer training. This is a large national company.

We have more catheters in our clinic than grafts. Since techs can do nothing with a catheter, and we have few nurses, it is not unusual for you to take on/off 10 or more catheters in one day in addition to everything else. And if you are the only nurse, your change over is a mess.

I was told I'd be working 40 hours/week, but I am now down to 36 since our old manager rearranged the patient schedule. It requires me to work overtime outside the company. That is becoming difficult as they keep changing the schedule without telling or asking you. And you can't talk to the charge nurse, since she requires total respect or writes people up.

I need my hours, and I frankly ran less in the ICU. I am exhausted. While I like what I do, I just didn't expect this. I am supposed to transfer to an acute unit in august, but I'm wondering if it's even worth the headache.

Is dialysis supposed to be like this????

NO, it is NOT. What company do you work for? (I think I can guess, based on other posts in this forum). If I were you I'd start looking for somewhere else to go. A mismanaged clinic and what you describe is DANGEROUS.

Specializes in Hemodialysis, Home Health.

Babs is right, Nrsjo... you've sure got a mess there !

Sometimes it's the company (as in raises, etc.)... sometimes it's the clinincal mgr. (as in schedules, training, etc.) and sometimes it has to do with your unit's medical director (as in who is allowed to work with caths, etc.) Each unit in the SAME COMPANY is run differently, according to all the above.

Again, I ca't be grateful enough for the unit I work at.. for our Medical Director, our Clinical Mgr./DON, our staff and our patients.

I ache sometimes for you who have such deplorable conditions to be able to come hang out with us for just one week. Dialysis is a physically demanding job to be sure, but when everyone works together and supports oneanother and goes out of one's way to help the other... it's HEAVEN compared to what you all have been describing. My heart goes out to you. I'm grateful each day I walk into our door at work.

Hugs to you. ((( )))

Thanks for answering my post. I'm so glad to know that it's not just my imagination or that I'm whining.

I'm going back to my old job. As much as I have enjoyed doing dialysis, I just cannot work at this pace or assume this level of liability. And I'm really afraid to go with another dialysis company, since I may be stepping into the same pile.

Jo

I forgot..........It's renal care group that I work for.

Specializes in ER, ICU, L&D, OR.

If you dont like it , then quit. Thats one of the wonderfull things about nursing. You have all sorts of avenues to explore and to find where you belong. And life is to short to be unhappy...........

Jnette is right. I work in a WONDERFUL, albeit imperfect, center owned by Davita - which is an excellent, albeit imperfect, company - but I have floated to some not-so-wonderful Davita centers too. It all comes down to whether the individual administration and staff (a) really believe in the company's mission and values (we do) and (b) work well together as a team and feel valued as nurses and as individuals (and we do). I'm sorry you got such a lousy deal your first trek into dialysis, and I wish you the best of luck at your * new old * position. But at least now you have a better idea of what to look for if and when you decide to give dialysis nursing another shot and start interviewing again. PD looks to me like a sweet deal, too....

Good luck....

Babs

I am going to an interview today at an outpatient dialysis clinic....then on Thursday I'm interviewing at a hospice. I've done hospice nursing before but never dialysis. Anything important I should ask at my interview?? I don't know which one I want to do...I see positive and negatives to both, maybe after the interviews I'll have a better idea.

Mandee

Mandee,

I would ask about ratios, how many patient shifts/day, is it a 3-day clinic or a 6-day clinic? (3 day is MWF , 6 day is M-Sat), and how scheduling is handled. I would ask about how many hours a week I can expect to work (not all get 36-40 hrs, don't assume you do) .... I would watch the staff there and get a feel for how they get along. Are they killing themselves and forcing smiles? Or is it a more relaxed and friendly environment? Keep in mind that if you're there between patient shifts (during changeover) it will be hectic....the key is just HOW hectic - is it workable or is it insane?

Let me know how it goes? Good luck to you....

Barb

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