Help...Need to choose between Dialysis or Long term care....

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Hi everyone, I just finished my LPN program and I have been offered two jobs one working in outpatient dialysis and the other is working in long term care. Can anyone give me some insights about the pros and cons working in either dialysis or long term care. Which one would you practice most of your nursing skills? Can you loose your skills in one or the other? When transitioning to a hospital as an RN which one is more recognizable as good nursing experience? Is dialysis boring and the day drags? Is long term care really hectic and just giving out a ton of meds. I know i'm asking a lot of questions but I need help in choosing a job in which I will be working for at least 1 year. Your help will be yvery helpful.

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Dialysis will open more doors if you can work in a hospital and if you plan to return to school they maybe more accomodating. What a happy situation to be in?

Also check the benefits of each.

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Specializes in LTC, Urgent Care.

I've never worked Dialysis, but LTC is definitely hectic, pushing meds - tons of 'em - in a short amount of time to as many as 30 residents. But I loved hearing stories of what things were like when those people were younger. I imagine Dialysis could be that way in a sense - you'd be seeing the same people frequently and be able to develop a rapport with them.

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Specializes in Community Health, Med-Surg, Home Health.

I'd love to learn about dialysis. I don't know the advantage of one versus the other, but the first thing I would look at are the benefits and rate of pay.

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Specializes in LTC, Memory loss, PDN.

LTC will probably give you a broader skill base. Dialysis, I believe, is the better career move. And yes, LTC is hectic (what an understatement) and filled with the pursuit of meeting unatainable goals.

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Specializes in Telemetry, Case Management.

LTC, if you can avoid it, is not the place to be. Think too many patients, aides and nurses calling in, having to do two people's work with no reward. If I can at all avoid EVER going back to it, I will.

I haven't done dialysis but I think it would look great on a resume, you would be able to keep up to date on new drugs, procedures, etc. In LTC, I felt like my brain was rotting, and I wasn't learning anything, nor was I using many of my skills.

Just my two cents, for what its worth....

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Dialysis can quickly become boring, you basically access a CVC or fistulas. String and clean the machines, check the charts for levels, ensure that you have the right solutions, weigh the patient.

Chronic patients are often very (shall we say) challenging. They don't like new faces, want to be first on and first off the machines. Many won't be compliant with diet restrictions. They don't really want to interact with you. Watch TV, sleep, or read while dialyizing.

You don't do a lot of meds in dialysis either. Usually the patients take care of their own needs.

You only use assessment and sterile technique skills in a dialysis centre.

LTC depends on the facility. Some all you will do is meds, others you do meds, wound care, family conferences.

It's up to you. Only you know what you want in your work life

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Specializes in Dialysis.

Dialysis is what you make it. Where I'm @ We do a minimum of 3 med and a max of like 6 or 8( Not sure still orienting). The meds go through the dialysis machine. Pts are funny acting if your new they don't want you to do them cause they're nervous you'll mess up their sites. Its a specialty and if you wanted to go all over the world(US) there are LOTS of dialysis nurse jobs and you could travel anywhere.:wink2:

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Thank you everyone for your posts. I've been reading all of them and they are very helpful. It seems that i'm going to lean toward the dialysis position because it's dealing with more speciality care and not just giving out a whole bunch of meds. Also it will look better on my resume when I'm ready to apply for a future hospital position. Wish me luck.

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May I ask what salary was being offered for both of them? From what I know, for me, I probably would lean more towards dialysis but I can vouch for having onery patients. However with LTC, I've heard lots of pushing meds, not enough time in the day to get everything done, too many patients, schedule issues, not able to practice skills.

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For the dialysis position I was offered 43,579 with 3,000 night differential as an LPN in NY. For the LTC I was offered 40,000 with 2,500 night differential. Both offered benefits and orientation. For LTC the orientation was 3 wks, for dialysis orientation is 10 wks. People say in LTC you can make more because they will always need you for overtime vs. dialysis.

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That is a very decent salary for being an LPN but I live in Fl and I know that the cost of living is less than NYC. That may be true with OT but you are also worked much harder in a LTC facility. I'm sure not all are the same but from several LPNs, I have heard that they are responsible for too many patients and even if they worked 16hr shifts they couldn't get all the work done and many of them work 12hrs. You also have to deal with the issue of being asked to do things that are not in your scope etc. Me personally, I would go with the dialysis but try to get some home health cases to keep your other nursing skills up to date or a part time gig in a LTC for 2 days to keep active skills.

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