Dialysis travel nursing

[Fomite, RN]

I'm a dialysis nurse with 2.5 years experience looking to get into traveling in the future, but I need some advice first about which skills I need to work on. I currently work a combination of acutes and chronics. I do acutes in a large hospital where we do HD, CAPD, CCPD cycler, and plasmapheresis. I also get floated out to do team leader in the outpatient clinic when things are slow. My dilemma is that I've recently been offered 2 different per diem positions, both of which would help prepare me to become a travel nurse. One is an acute unit that will train me for CRRT (the ICU nurses do it at my hospital). The other is a clinic that will train me to do outpatient charge nurse. Do any experienced travelers have input on which skill would be more valuable, CRRT vs. outpatient charge? Can you travel as an acute nurse without knowledge of CRRT? Can you travel as an outpatient nurse without charge experience? Any suggestions greatly appreciated.

[Erikadawn RN]

I am in the same situation as you. I am doing my research also. I talked to different recruitors and they asked what I was familiar with. I can't see you being put into a job that you ate not prepared for. I have never done CCRT or Pd, but it hasn't seemed to be a problem. I also have acute and chronic experience. Just talk to different recruitors. Good luck

[dayshiftnurse]

hi, just offering my opinion...i am an icu nurse and i do ccrt...to me, its not nearly as complicated as traditional HD...all the pump speeds are slower so much less chance of patient crashing. yes, there is a lot of bag preparation, and yes you (or icu nurse) has to run ca chloride infusion to replace the ca lost because of citrate as anticoagulant, but once you get the routine, to me, its not as intimidating as HD. you just keep going with it...you are not responsible to make judgement calls, ie the prescription is remove 2kg, but patient is above dry weight before a weekend so may remove 2.5kg, have to adjust blood flow to get better clearance etc. ccrt, is literally just following the doctors orders, monitoring the bloodwork to make sure you using the correct dialysate/replacement, etc. to me now that i'm training in HD i find ccrt much more straight-forward, less of an art, mainly just pure science.

[jdethman]

CRRT is cake, outpatient change is very difficult. Chairman Ulf M. Schneider on German board of Fresenius (worlds biggest dialysis provider) has said on more the a few occasions that change nurse is the hardest job in the company. Personally I think its a close race between that an CM, but to answerer your question change nurse is the most important developmental step in outpatient dialysis.

I have hired travel nurses I suspect with you current resume you will have no trouble finding employment in travel Dialysis. Play hard ball when negotiating contracts.