Dialysis Training Program in the New York City Area

NurseRies, BSN, RN · May 26, 2013

Dear Colleagues,
I considering an addition to my nursing career, and would like to do hemodialysis. I would like to know if any of you have had experience with the dialysis training program called, "Dialysis4Career"? If so, what was your experience with this program / company? What did you think of the training? Were you able to find a job in a reasonable amount of time? Did the company offer reasonable job assistance? Once in the role, do you feel that you were well trained for the role by Dialysis4Career?
Thank you in advance for your time.
Royalty01

That sounds like the equivalence of bartenders school, waste of money. No restaurant or bar hires from a Bartending school, just like I might imagine this to be no indication of experience for a dialysis nurse. If you have all those years of nursing experience, they should hire you up in a second at an outpatient facility. Outpatient facilities will give you PAID training instead of you paying for training that won't mean anything. I have been working in dialysis for several years as a traveler and have Not heard of anyone going to a dialysis school unless paid for by their company. Davita has it's own davita school, etc. good luck, but I would not waste my time, go straight for the application. You may be surprised to hear, they hire new grads with no experience and they hire dialysis techs at 18 years old with a high school diploma. All were trained on the job-PAID.

Royalty01 · May 26, 2013

Hello,

While your opinion is appreciated, the manner in which parts of it is written is not. You are so definitive in your response, possibly with little or no research behind it. Perhaps where you're from, the above takes place. There is no comparison between bartending and hemodialysis, and it's too bad that you compare a specialty of our profession that requires extensive knowledge and skill inorder to provide safe and quality patient care to bartending.

Upon extensive research, there are some hemodialysis programs that do have a detailed and extensive curriculum didactically and clinically, as well assist in job placement. I'm not sure what makes you think enrolling in a program "won't mean anything", but at the same time you mention that you've heard of individuals attending a program if paid for by their employer. So, it means something only if the employer is paying for it? There are individuals who have taken programs, and now work in a facility, and some have even opened their own facility post training.

You are correct in that with the years of acute care experience that I have, it should be easy to transition into the role. And yes, it would be great to gain the knowledge and experience free of cost. However, with more extensive research, inpatient and outpatient facilities are still asking for 1-2 years of hemodialysis experience, whether or not you are an experienced nurse. New graduates are not being considered for this role, again because of no hemodialysis experience.

Again,perhaps where you are from or where you have travelled, you may have noticed differently, but there is a way to put that experience forth without making my inquiry sound ludacris.

Accordingto DaVita, they do not have a training program. I am still waiting to hear from Fresenius.

Trauma Columnist · May 27, 2013

Fresenius and Davita both have training programs.

Royalty01 · May 27, 2013

Thank you traumaRUs. I will inquire again to both organizations.

Royalty01 · May 27, 2013

Would you happen to have any experience / opinion with either or both of these facilities that you could share with me?

Trauma Columnist · May 27, 2013

I'm actually an APN so I don't work for either company but rather work IN the facility. Sorry

Royalty01 · May 27, 2013

Thank you for your input.

Erikadawn RN · May 27, 2013

Maybe you got ticked off by the bartending school reference, but what NurseRies said is absolutely true. I work for Fresenius full time and Davita part time. They will train you. This is how I got my job, I have never worked with a nurse who went to a dialysis school. The younger techs I work with have attended these programs, but the older techs have been trained on the job. You were given great advice which is true and factual. Apply, apply, and apply again to Davita and Fresenius. It usually takes numerous times for a recruitor to call you, don't give up, I love dialysis and there will always be a job.

NurseRies, BSN, RN · May 27, 2013

I truly do apologize for making it seem disrespectful. I was not trying to be that way. I compared this to bartending school maybe unfairly speaking, you're right. I was in the restaurant business for 8 years and so it is easy for me to make comparison. The bartending schools were invented as a way to make money, but anyone who really worked at the restaurant knew that this education usually did not land anyone a job.

I respect education and I think that this dialysis school would be a great learning experience. I just don't believe it is necessary for someone with your experience level. I have worked in 5 states as a dialysis nurse and have not seen this profession as being too difficult to get into. I have also never met one dialysis nurse that went to an outside dialysis school. Maybe in your area it is more competitive and so that class may be beneficial. I just honestly didn't want you to spend money on something that isn't necessary. But I suppose that's none of my business. The more education, the better. I just got shocked when I heard about this program because I see it as a way for those people to make money. Do you come out with a certification or at least some continuing education hours? Who Is this program put on by? Is it endorsed by the American nephrology nurses association?

I have worked for Fresenius, Davita, and DCI, all those companies give extensive education to employees about renal disease and technical skills. I trained for 6 months! Each program depending on area seems to be run a little different. Two Davita clinics are not the same necessarily. You will learn a lot more in the actual clinin, then in a classroom setting. I also saw they had practice artificial fistulas and grafts to cannulate. Again, this will not likely help in the real world environment. Please understand, I'm just trying to give you my best advice! Good luck in whatever you decide to do.

Royalty01 · May 28, 2013

Your apology is accepted. I do understand your concern, and believe me, I would rather not spend the money if I don't have to. However, a lot of nursing specialties, including dialysis, will not take nurses who do not have previous experience in the specified specialty. It doesn't matter how many years of experience one has, or degree(s). I think it's unfair to treat nurses this way, particularly those with nursing experience. But, this is the state of our profession today.

My hope is that if I get the training and possibly an internship, it may help me along. The course (Dialysis4Career) does come with a certificate, job search assistance and is in the application process for accreditation by one of our specialty nursing organizations. I don't want to say which one because I am in the process of verifying this information, but it is not ANNA. The program is both theory and hands-on (I saw the actual classroom and skills lab). The program also provides continuing education hours for nurses.

I contacted DaVita and Fresenius and I am still waiting to hear from them with regards to their program. I haven't seen DCI in my search, but will look into also.

Please keep in mind that our profession does have specialty courses that are credible and provide certification. The specialty area requires this additional specialty education, and certification. Such programs are wound / skin / ostomy care nurse and diabetes educator.

I appreciate your apology and input.

Thank you.

westieluv · May 28, 2013

I just got hired by Fresenius as a full-time inpatient/acute dialysis nurse and I have zero dialysis experience, just several years of experience in med/surg, intermediate cardiac, and hospice nursing. The people who are training me at Fresenius right now don't seem to care one bit that I have no dialysis experience and I am going to get several months of orientation.

Maybe things are different in your part of the country, but here you definitely don't have to pay for extra training to make yourself marketable to dialysis companies, you just need some type of nursing experience. My supervisor told me that my son's fiancee', who is a new grad RN looking for a job, could work as a LTC nurse for a year and then Fresenius would be happy to hire her. Any type of nursing experience seems to be A-OK with them.