Frustrated

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Specializes in Dialysis.

I have been a dialysis nurse for 7 months, a RN for 20+ years. In my clinic, I was 'promised' 40ish hours/week (I just require 30 to pay the bills and have a little extra, so a little less isn't an issue). I'm lucky to get 30 hours/week, most of those as a tech. I love the job, but working as a tech makes me nervous, especially in the clinic I work in, as it's very fast paced. I've helped out in other clinics as a tech and they move much slower, not so nerve racking. I've tried talking to my clinic manager but she just keeps saying that I'm doing great/excellent/amazing, etc.

I basically work (1) 8 hour day as a nurse per week, the rest of the time, as a tech with an hour here and there as a nurse on those days, unless I travel 2 hours (one way) to another clinic to work as a nurse. If I knew it was going to be this, I probably would not have accepted the job. Is this normal? I'm at the age/experience level that most don't want to pay what they think I want (ageism exist, and it is an issue, no matter what anyone says otherwise), and I live in a rural area that there isn't many nursing jobs, but nearby schools that keep pumping them out. I left LTC (my 1st love) as I physically couldn't do it anymore. Any thoughts or suggestions? ETA-nurses in my area do NOT take a pod while nursing (which I think is great!)

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That's not normal in my area at all. I work in the Acute setting and I get overtime nearly every week though I don't want it. I have RN friends that work in the chronic facilities and they usually work about 16 hour days, 3 days a week. There are always openings but it seems that about the time they find a new nurse and get her/him trained, they've burned out one of their full time RN's.

You might try travel dialysis if that's something you can do.

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Specializes in Dialysis.

Unfortunately I can't travel. I work evening MWF, the 2 day shift nurses are 7 on 7 off. There are seldom openings in my area

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You are in a rural position and the clinic sounds maybe like a new clinic if you all are only MWF. In addition, its very common to start an RN in a pod for at least 6 months to get the basics prior to letting them charge. What you are describing is very typical. I am in a new, rural community myself and a manager. I bring all new people on with the understanding that to get full time hours they will have to drive the distance to other facilities. That is at least until we grow past MWF only.

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Specializes in Dialysis.
You are in a rural position and the clinic sounds maybe like a new clinic if you all are only MWF. In addition, its very common to start an RN in a pod for at least 6 months to get the basics prior to letting them charge. What you are describing is very typical. I am in a new, rural community myself and a manager. I bring all new people on with the understanding that to get full time hours they will have to drive the distance to other facilities. That is at least until we grow past MWF only.

our clinic is 20+ years old and is open 6 days a week. I was hired to work 3rd run on MWF and pick up the extra nursing hours in a clinic in the neighboring towns clinic (20 miles away), not 2 hours away. I've worked at the neighboring clinic 2x as a tech. The only way I get any nursing hours is to go to the longer distant clinic, and with winter coming, thats not going to be a viable option. I also don't feel like I should have to work 5 days week to get 30 hours when everyone else is getting 36-40 hours in 3 days, there should be a better way. I'm contemplating leaving and going back to LTC despite what it does to my body. I don't tech or nurse enough consistently to get a routine because I do a couple hours of this, then switch to the other, then an hour later switch back.

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Specializes in Nursing Education, Public Health, Medical Policy.

I work in clinic dialysis in California and my CC is always begging for RNs to fill extra shifts. I'm not sure why we have such a problem keeping RNs- the Pay is much lower than acute care but there are plenty of opportunities for overtime.

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Specializes in Dialysis.
I work in clinic dialysis in California and my CC is always begging for RNs to fill extra shifts. I'm not sure why we have such a problem keeping RNs- the Pay is much lower than acute care but there are plenty of opportunities for overtime.

In my area, there are plenty of tech shifts to fill, but we have plenty of nurses. I have gotten much better at working as a tech, my manager has tweaked the schedule to slow things down, so I'm less stressed, and I pick up many tech hours. I wish there were more nursing hours but I guess it's just not meant to be at this time. But I figure I'm getting paid the same no matter which job I do

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