Hemodialysis Specialty Uncertainties

Trauma Columnist · Oct 18, 2008

Dialysis is one of the few nursing areas where there isn't a lot of ambivalence. You either like it or hate it. It does pigeon-hole you and for that, if your ultimate goal is to get into some other type of nursing, I would opt to get out now. However, if you like the routine and caring for chronic patients, then stay.

What exactly concerns you?

dulexsidlex · Oct 18, 2008

Dialysis is one of the few nursing areas where there isn't a lot of ambivalence. You either like it or hate it. It does pigeon-hole you and for that, if your ultimate goal is to get into some other type of nursing, I would opt to get out now. However, if you like the routine and caring for chronic patients, then stay.
What exactly concerns you?

No offense on the RENAL nurses but what concerns me is that learning might be stagnant. To sum it up, you get to monitor the patient while the session takes place and that's it. I am worried if the income I might be getting is enough to support my family. :cry:

Trauma Columnist · Oct 19, 2008

Again if your goal is dialysis nursing, there is enough to learn to keep you satisfied there. If you want to advance, you can either become a charge nurse, nursing manager or go back to school for your advanced practice nursing degree.

pookie120 · Oct 22, 2008

I'm a acute HD nurse for two years. I enjoy dialysis, but I was also concerned about being in such a specialized area of nursing. I've always had an interest in critical care nursing. I transferred to the ICU six months ago to train. I work FT in the ICU and continue to do PRN in acute HD. I think this was a great decision to train in two different specialities and I feel that I have the best of both worlds. :yeah: