I Hate Dialysis

LouRN92 · Sep 1, 2008

It has been a long time since I commented on Allnurses but this post really struck a chord with me because I was a Dialysis nurse for 3 years in 1994-1997 and it was hands down my favorite job ever.

Yes,it was sometimes repetitive... but sometimes that was comforting. Let me tell you why. It allowed me to get a real sense for patient's, their lives, and nursing in general. In my work on the floor I often wondered about the patients that I cared for... what happened to them? Did my care make a difference? In Dialysis, I saw the same patients 3 days a week for years and I learned that sometimes I really could make a difference and sometimes people just died... no matter what we did. The patient's and staff were my second family.

I also learned excellant assessment skills in dialysis. Of course I was an RN, not an LPN. I also learned alot about patient teaching. I used my ACLS in Dialysis..... got to defibrillate a patient one day!! I became more familiar with labs.. especially potassium!!! As a Dialysis RN I got the respect of the ICU nurses... they would scatter when I came to dialyze a patient in the unit. I became expert at accessing grafts and fistulas with needles... I drew blood on patients...gave immunizations..

And about the noncompliant patients... yes it was frustrating.. but I can't imagine what it would be like to have to monitor everything so closely... your fluids, every bite of food....and to have your life restricted by your treatments...lasting 4-5 hours a time 3 days a week... So it wasn't as hard to not be judgemental... I can hardly restrict myself from my 32 oz soda each day.

Anyway... I loved learning the technical aspects of the machines...

So dialysis may not be for everyone.. but for some it really is a great fit.

I wish I lived closer to a dialysis unit... Now I work in a really rural setting and get to do lots of things: ER, OB, ICU, Med surg... but I do miss the specialization in dialysis.

Thank goodness nursing is varied and there is something to appeal to everyone. :nurse:

Natkat, BSN, MSN, RN · Sep 1, 2008

What a great post. Thanks for telling your story.

One of the things I love about my job is I feel I get more respect as a nurse than med-surg nurses do. While floor nurses are treated like maids or waitresses, people treat me as if I know what I'm doing and I have a special skill that not everyone can do. I also enjoy that I get to see lots of different things in the hospital and perform lots of other skills besides just dialysis.

And for good measure, if there is a code brown while I'm there, I always help clean the patient up. If my machine is acid cleaning or being disinfected I help the nurse bathe the patient, change linens, move the patient up in bed or anything else she might need help with. It helps foster a sense of teamwork between us, and they are more likely to get the supplies I need in a timely manner next time I'm there.

It has been a long time since I commented on Allnurses but this post really struck a chord with me because I was a Dialysis nurse for 3 years in 1994-1997 and it was hands down my favorite job ever.
Yes,it was sometimes repetitive... but sometimes that was comforting. Let me tell you why. It allowed me to get a real sense for patient's, their lives, and nursing in general. In my work on the floor I often wondered about the patients that I cared for... what happened to them? Did my care make a difference? In Dialysis, I saw the same patients 3 days a week for years and I learned that sometimes I really could make a difference and sometimes people just died... no matter what we did. The patient's and staff were my second family.
I also learned excellant assessment skills in dialysis. Of course I was an RN, not an LPN. I also learned alot about patient teaching. I used my ACLS in Dialysis..... got to defibrillate a patient one day!! I became more familiar with labs.. especially potassium!!! As a Dialysis RN I got the respect of the ICU nurses... they would scatter when I came to dialyze a patient in the unit. I became expert at accessing grafts and fistulas with needles... I drew blood on patients...gave immunizations..
And about the noncompliant patients... yes it was frustrating.. but I can't imagine what it would be like to have to monitor everything so closely... your fluids, every bite of food....and to have your life restricted by your treatments...lasting 4-5 hours a time 3 days a week... So it wasn't as hard to not be judgemental... I can hardly restrict myself from my 32 oz soda each day.
Anyway... I loved learning the technical aspects of the machines...
So dialysis may not be for everyone.. but for some it really is a great fit.
I wish I lived closer to a dialysis unit... Now I work in a really rural setting and get to do lots of things: ER, OB, ICU, Med surg... but I do miss the specialization in dialysis.
Thank goodness nursing is varied and there is something to appeal to everyone.

sissib · Sep 1, 2008

Glad you enjoy your LTC job. It sounds like a fabulous place to work. CMT's and wound nurses and unit clerks too! And only 10 residents. Majority of LTC is the nurse does it all and have 25-42 residents, so if you like LTC you better stay at that facility. You realllllllly lucked out on that facility. Good Luck!!!

wishiwasarn · Sep 1, 2008

hope this doesn't offend you, but after reading this post, i don't exactly understand what it is you are doing at the ltc facility. if you aren't doing meds, wound care, feeding, making phone calls. etc...then what are you doing? it sounds a little bit like a lazy job. i have been away from nursing for 2 years now, and am going for an interview with a davita outpatient clinic. am very excited to be considered for the position as i need to work my skills back up.

good luck at the ltc facility!

soulofme · Sep 2, 2008

I'd rather clean a dirty dialysis machine than a dirty rear...end:no:

Natkat, BSN, MSN, RN · Sep 3, 2008

I'd rather clean a dirty dialysis machine than a dirty rear...end:no:

Oh yeah, a thousand times YEAH!!

Krazyone · Sep 7, 2008

I'm not sure about dialysis either. Here is what I am up against. I graduated 6/07 & became a RN. I was accepted into a perioperative program & quickly realized I wanted to be a scrub, not the circulator, but was told I would never scrub. Needless to say, I left looking for something else & didn't want to do the med/surg thing. A fellow student recommended dialysis. I recently got a job in dialysis & am worried about my license. I have spent 2 weeks in classroom training with a great teacher who does everything by policy & by the book. Then I was sent out on the floor with the techs. No one documents what they do for the patient. All they document is the vital signs that they do every 60 minutes. I set the machines for 30 so I can try to divert a problem early. The tech & RN change them back. They check off the boxes on the forms & the RN never does a patient assessment other than ask them how they feel. I am told that I will have to setup & take off 3 of my own patients, multi times a shift, plus be the RN for all 12 patients all by myself. There will never be another RN to help. There is no leadership there. The techs take hour lunches, talk on their cell phones & talk about patients at the nurses station & most of them are newbies. So far in 1 wk, the ambulance has been there once & 3 patients crashed at the same time. My trainer said she is hoping things will get better. The last nurse they had told me he left because of what goes on there & that he had to baby sit the techs. I am also working on my BSN & they do not have any tuition reimbursement. I may have a job offer in Rehab/LTC with a $4k sign on bonus plus tuition reimbursement. Right know I really don't know what to do & I don't want to look bad bouncing around trying to find my niche. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for listening to me whine.

soulofme · Sep 7, 2008

VS Qhr...I don't think so...Q 1/2hr and if unstable Q15min...Who do you work for...I'd be very afraid...I've never worked where they only do Qhr VS...... :eek:

Natkat, BSN, MSN, RN · Sep 7, 2008

Wow. That sounds so dangerous.

Not all clinics are like that. You could transfer to another clinic once you are elligible or even try working for a different company.

Krazyone · Sep 7, 2008

I went to work at IDS outpatient dialysis. When I asked about more frequent VS' I was told only if they looked like they needed it & that I would get to know my patients & tell if they should have it more often. I was out cleaning machines the other day & a patient was calling for help & everyone ignored him. I went over & he said he wanted off the machine as he didn't feel well. I asked him if he had felt this way before & he said once. I went & got my teacher & had her help me as I had no idea what to do. Come to find out he was becoming septic before my eyes. Her & I worked on the patient & the real RN called the MD & ambulance. I am very scared I have taken the wrong job.

soulofme · Sep 7, 2008

This place sounds insane...if you stay and when you are on your own..tell them that you'd feel more comfortable taking VS q1/2hr. Cover your own butt... :twocents:

kariaini · Sep 9, 2008

Hi I just started a dialysis job in an inpatient unit, I'm in my third day orientation on the floor, so far so good. I will have a ratio of 2:1 and also will be circulating in other units to dialyzes the Pt. My friend I have done LTC for years, ER and a bit of home health. LTC can he hectic, you are on you own, cna are rude and most don't care about the patient, there are turns and turns of paperwork. For the kind of LTC you described it seems to be a small private facility and you will loose all your skills you will be more like a CNA. There is no growth in LTC it's repetitive and you just become a pill popper. You have the most rude family in LTC. All in all I liked the elderly and they will always put a smile on you and the pay check is good. My friend you are new in the field just take a couple of weeks and figure what you want and why you went to school to become a nurse. All I know there is no boredom in nursing as long as you are giving direct care, it is a lot you can do to keep yourself busy. When I wake up in the morning,is it going to ED, LTC, Dialysis I always put myself in the patient shoes and ask myself what would I like the nurse working with me to treat me?