Working at a hospital

Jenni811, RN · Feb 15, 2012

I got hired right out of school at a hospital. I guess all i can say is....i would be scared too going into dialysis. We do bedside dialysis since our patients are too sick to go down 90% of the time... but we have dialysis nurses that do it.

I see all their equipment and all the crap they do and i always thing "How on earth did they learn all this?"

Same with my job, i'm sure they get intimidated by the 10+ drips i can have running, Telemetry, the ventilators etc. Buuuut i was TRAINED in this. I went into my job being scared, but after being taught, and the hospital making my orientation specific to my unit...i learned how to work it all.

So i guess where im going with that is, if you go into the hospital you will learn everything. nobody is going to expect you to know everything. I still don't know everything. when i have like 8+ drips running, i don't memorize what is compatible with what, we have a computer system where i am able to look it up. I'm no expert on our ventilators, but if i have a question i call respiratory therapy. I use my resources that are available to me.

KelRN215, BSN, RN · Feb 15, 2012

I agree with the above poster... I bet if you asked most hospital nurses, they'd be overwhelmed at the idea of working in dialysis. There is a reason why nurses have an orientation period when they are hired into a new job. You'll learn.

nurseontheway · Feb 15, 2012

Thanks guys!

loriangel14, RN · Feb 15, 2012

You will have a steep learning curve at first but you will do fine.You just have to ask for help with the stuff you aren't familiar with.At first you will think"I will never get the hang of this" but you will.

dudette10, MSN, RN · Feb 15, 2012

Every nursing job has something new to learn. I've seen nurses of 20+ years ask another nurse about a piece of equipment they've never seen before.

If you change specialties, not being familiar with some equipment is guaranteed to happen, but you will learn!