Need advice about DaVita - Is it a good company to work for?

Lacie, BSN, RN · Jul 29, 2009

There are a lot of post in the Dialysis forum related to this question. It all depends on the clinic itself and the management. Myself I wouldnt return to a Davita clinic as most of time I was the only RN in the clinic and also you stay till the last patient leaves. I was initially told 12 hour days but that 12 hours went to 16 hours when they opened a 3rd and 4th shift. Pct's ran the clinic and I was just a body to open the doors and push meds. Also as a new grad I would suggest you get some med/surg first as even with my 30 years as an RN leaving the bedside field for only 3 years working in dialysis shut me out going back to a hospital without having to go do an internship etc. Most non-dialysis employers dont see nor understand what you actually do in dialysis. It's a love or hate job also. I just left dialysis for good as I was abused by patients and management more so then any other area I have worked in. I took less abuse from pts in ER than in dialysis lol.

Happy2CU · Jul 29, 2009

I work for DaVita. Benefits are reasonable priced. There is bonus opportunity, but it's dependent upon your patient's lab values and a variety of other criteria, some within your control, some not. Management will promise you bonus opportunity as a recruitment tool, but depending upon how your hire date falls within the quarter, it will take a good year to become bonus eligible. Depending upon your clinic, you may work extremely long hours, have minimal opportunity to consume food and toilet yourself. Some of the techs in dialysis can be brutal, especially to a "newbie". Some techs resent the RN's and let it be known.

It's a tough call. I work for DaVita. I've been employed with them a bit over three years. I feel kind of "stuck"......sort of hate it. Then again, I'm "only" an LPN who does not reside in an urban area. My employment opportunities are limited. But, I'm looking.........

Best of luck to you in whatever you decide. Some people love dialysis and some people love DaVita. If you do go with them, try for as much money upfront as you can, because you sure won't be getting it with the company's generous 2% salary increase allotment.

nerdtonurse?, BSN, RN · Jul 29, 2009

Keep in mind, the 3 places in our hospital that have the most codes? ER, ICU, and Dialysis. These people are very, very, very sick, and usually with more than just kidney failure. Get ACLS training, know your CPR inside and out. We usually get at least one admission per week directly from dialysis, just on our floor.

Midwest4me · Jul 30, 2009

I had a friend who worked for Davita who was a very seasoned dialysis tech and treated very badly once Davita took over the Gambro clinic in which she worked. I also worked for Gambro for 4.5 years, went with another company and lasted 6 mos before I finally just gave it up. I agree with others who suggest that you get 1-2 years' med-surg experience before taking on a dialysis job....and have a VERY THICK skin because you'll need it--you get abused by not only patients but by staff and management.

NewGradRN-IL · Jul 30, 2009

Thank you all for taking the time to share your experiences and expertise. I really appreciate your advice and will take all you shared into consideration. Thanks again!

DeLana_RN, BSN, RN · Jul 31, 2009

I worked for Gambro, which was bought by DaVita, for 5 1/2 years. In a nutshell:

- I would not recommend dialysis for a new grad. As pp have said, you may be the only RN (in my case, on most Saturdays I worked and sometimes during the week). Also, you need to have some clinical experience since their training (preceptors are often LPNs, but sometimes even PCTs!) primarily deals with dialysis issues (machine, procedure, complications, etc.)

- We were not encouraged to get ACLS, but let me tell you, in a code situation it can get very scary very fast, primarily because the staff are just not well prepared (in chronics, codes are fairly rare; I had one in 5+ years). Again, you may be the only RN in the clinic having to deal with this.

- Lines between workers (RNs, LPNs and PCTs/dialysis techs) are very blurred in dialysis. Ergo, many PCTs have quite an attitude and are convinced that they do exactly the same work as the RN and act accordingly. Management is often unwilling or unable to adquately deal with this problem.

For more, please see numerous threads in the Dialysis specialty forum.

HTH, and I wish you the best of luck whatever you decide!

DeLana