Have decided to leave dialysis after 6.5 years...

BSNgrad2004 · Jul 21, 2005

I've only been in dialysis since January and I'm already tired of it for the same reasons you have mentioned. I'm looking for other job opportunities but I am having no luck. I'm especially tired of waking up early and working on holidays.

bloodmonster · Jul 22, 2005

And, I thought I was the only one tired of dialysis. My reasons for wanting a change have a lot to do with everything. I work in acutes and the stress level is beyond anything I can handle anymore. I'm mostly feeling the stress from having to work with the facility's nurses who are not teamwork oriented. Often I'm left abandoned by the ICU nurse with the highest acuity patient.

The last day I worked was July 2nd and I had the most difficult working situation. My patient was in ICU hooked up to a vent and the heart monitors. I had found him lying flat on his right side. The feed pump was finished but still on. I immediately turned it off then rearranged his position so I could get at his Fem cath. I had this patient before and was quite aware of his hypotensive episodes and his constant thrashing about. I had been instructed by my supervisor to tie his legs and request ativan. Shortly, after I had his treatment going I looked out the door to see if I could alert his nurse to request the ativan. She was no where to be found. I had to ask someone else to ask her. She comes around and says, "Get the narc keys and get it yourself!"

WTF? Now, we started on the wrong foot. She was not nice and obviously not team oriented. She finally brought the ativan over and said, "Here, you give it." I explained to her that I was not to give meds unless they were ordered with HD. She questioned my license to practice. We argued back n forth about this. Then she yelled at me about his position and why I took the pillows out from under him and why he was lying flat with the feed pump on. I expained to her that I had found him this way minus pillows. She didn't comprehend my need to maintain a blood flow for the HD TX. obviously.

Oh, she turned out to be a real piece of work. She blamed me for his BP dropping and called the Doc. She complained about me to the house supervisor telling her that I was endangering her patient and she wanted me off the floor. She told this story to the nephrologist, too. When the Neph called back he didn't want to speak to me...only her.

I was hurt by the preference of the Neph to speak with the ICU instead of me. I thought..."That's it. I quit!" Well, I've been ill for the past three weeks so I'm not able to work now anyway. I'll never go back to that facility. I told my supervisor what happened and she explained the reason why they were picking on me. Apparently, a nurse from our company was not paying attention to her patient during the tx and he bleed out and died. This had happened about 5 months ago. So, these nurses are paranoid. They'd be paranoid enough to take it out on me and hurt my license for some revenge or gratification. I just dont get some nurses going out of their way to hurt another nurse.

I wont miss dialysis. The very idea just makes me cringe.

Question to the previous posters, Where do you think your next nursing speciality will be? Have you applied for it yet? I'm sure we will all be better off with something else.

nitengale75 · Jul 22, 2005

As a new grad in 1975, I signed to work dialysis. It was fairly new in the small hospital where I worked, so it was very exciting to be part of that team. We worked very closely with the ICU staff and never had problems when having to dialyze acutes. It was always exciting as new things developed back then. But after 14 years, I had had enough. You're right. Different viewpoints in patient care starting adding up. I was "old school" and the patient always came first. For instance, some of the new R.N.'s said their job was not to give bedpans. Plus, families wanted their loved ones dialyzed no matter what the condition. I transferred to surgery for one year. Big mistake! I took that for one year until I was asked if I would be interested in school nursing. So, after 15 years of hospital nursing, I jumped at school nursing. And 15 years later am still loving it. I use my nursing skills every day and do not have the E.R. as back-up. I see many, many health problems and more social problems than I can sometimes deal with on a daily basis. But I would never change it. I used to say that at least I would never lose my patients like I did in dialysis. But I have lost two students this year. Not at school, but the impact is still the same. You will find what excites you in nursing. Just don't give up.

BSNgrad2004 · Jul 23, 2005

I was in acutes earlier this year and I hated it. We only had 5 machines in our unit and we were forced to push machines down to the ICU or in to the patients' rooms. I hated the fact that it would take all day and all night (probably until 10 or 11) just to get all the patients done since there were only 5 machines in the unit. Anyway, after having enough of that I decided to do chronics. You get to see the same patients, every other day. But I think it gets to the point where everything is just predictable. You already know what they are going to say to you before they walk in the door. You already know and expect them to start "faking the cramps" so they can cut their treatment time, when even then they already started their treatment late because they couldnt get to the clinic on time. I'm just tired of how everything is solely based on time. Everything is always rushed, which leads all of us to getting burned out so easily. Holidays are the worse, when we have to wake up@ 3 just so we can start setting up at 4 am since its July 4, Memorial Day, etc. We get no type of enjoyment out of a holiday except for time and a half. But again we are too burned out to enjoy the rest of the day.

I don't know where I will be going from here. I wanted to go back to school for my master's but I'm unsure.I would like to go into PACU . I've been sending out my resume and filling out applications and haven't heard from anyone yet. I am about to give up .

**RosesrReder, BSN, MSN, RN** · Jul 23, 2005

Sorry you had to leave, but congratulations on moving on and looking for something else. Best wishes for you :)

renerian, BSN, RN · Jul 23, 2005

Ever thought of using your great experience as a traveler? You would be snatched up fast!

renerian

jnette, ASN, EMT-I · Jul 23, 2005

Holidays are the worse, when we have to wake up@ 3 just so we can start setting up at 4 am since its July 4, Memorial Day, etc. We get no type of enjoyment out of a holiday except for time and a half. But again we are too burned out to enjoy the rest of the day.

*chortle*

This is my schedule EVERY day ! :chuckle

Yes, dialysis nursing is most definately "love it or leave it".

One of my colleagues just put in her resignation after 12.5 years.. for many of the reasons stated above. She has been there the longest besides our DON.

I, too, have been tempted at times due to the "rush, rush" of it all, and little time to enjoy teh actual "nursing" aspects of it.. even our small outpatient unit is taking on the "assembly line" feeling lately, and the patients we have been receiving are far more needy that ever... lots and lots of comorbidities, just a whole different caliber of patients. Makes one wonder if they are nothing more than a cash cow for the docs and the industry.

But still, I do love what I do. Because we ARE a small unit, we are still like "family"... the staff as well as the patients.

Teamwork and assisting one another are of utmost importance, and we do this well, and gladly.

I wish there could be some changes in operations, but as always, the "business" aspects receive priority attention over patient care and patient needs.. not to mention staff job satisfaction...sad indeed.

nosonew, BSN, RN · Jul 25, 2005

Impossible to remember everyone's questions...comments but I will try.

Bloodmonster... sorry you had that experience. I don't and haven't and WON'T work acutes.. can't be on call with my little ones :chuckle but I feel bad the nurse didn't even try to get to know you first...

Nitengale... EXACTLY! I am a PATIENT FIRST nurse... and I graduated in 93! I didn't even know I was like the Watson philosophy until this past year! I love my patients... all 26 living, all 40+ dead now. Too many funerals (YES, I was the ONLY staff member that went to them ALL..if at all possible given WORK schedule). So...I think I have been to 30+...My co-workers are all into their bonuses... regardless of how that affects the patients.. it makes me ill!

BSN grad... I have yet to know a patient who faked their cramps to get off early. Or faked anything for any reason. WHY? Because I have always instilled in my patients that THEIR life/comfort/wellbeing/sanity COMES FIRST. If they need off early...FOR WHATEVER reason... FINE!It is THEIR life...their body... THEIR RIGHT!

THAT is the difference between myself and the other nurses... they force time on them... regardless of reason. I choose to educate and let them make EDUCATED decisions that are best for THEM.

Jessica... THANKS!

Renerian... Considered it! can't do it with young children at home! NO WAY! Thanks for the thought though!

jnette... I realize you and I are the types of nurses our patients need. And I have tried... the guilt i will feel when I do give my notice...will be overwhelming. :crying2:

I have actually applied for 2 positions.. one as a computer liason with ZERO patient contact...and the other in an endo lab. Job #1 is M-F flexible schedule...I make it. Job #2 is 7-3 M-Th.. no holidays, weekends.

Either would work right now... I need a break... a BIG break!

I appreciate all the support! THANK YOU!!!!

AmyLiz · Aug 2, 2005

A nurse that I work with recently discovered that after 26 years experience as a dialysis nurse that she couldn't find a job outside dialysis...even with a new Masters degree! She ended up finding a job as a manager of a dialysis clinic, which is great, but she had wanted to find something in another area. I'm learning from this issue and plan on leaving dialysis once I graduate from Nursing School.

I've been a tech for almost a year and a half now. I enjoy it. I like most of my patients. I've lost quite a few...some more surprisingly than others. I work 3x/week from 0430-1700 and it can be maddening. But for the most part, it has been a fantastic experience. I've had some great patients that I've learned a lot from...both medically speaking and philisophically speaking.

The business aspect can be annoying. Some clinics are worse than others, but there is always somewhat of a "bottom line" mentality when it comes to clinics like that. I try not to think about it...and just do my job. I work with a good bunch of folks, most of which are very caring and very patient-focused. The people you work with makes a huge difference!

Good luck in finding something you'll enjoy more! It is so important to be comfortable. When you dread going to work everytime, then it's time to find something new! :)