Info about Fresenius dialysis RN

westieluv · Dec 13, 2013

I have an interview with Fresenius in a few days to interview for an inpatient dialysis RN position. I have 10 years ICU/ER/med-surg experience and a MSN. I'm new to dialysis, however. Does anyone have a rough idea of salary range? I do know that I will train 12 weeks in classroom and work with a nurse at least 6 months. The benefits sound great. I've been told up front that it's 4 12's a week, but you don't get off till you're done, which is no big deal since that's any nurse's job. I know it would be a lot of overtime every week. They are short staffed but hopefully will go to 3 12's.
Just want to get an idea of salary, what to expect from training, and if they do what they say. I'm tired of getting a pretty picture painted only to find out I've signed up for a tour of duty in hell (my last job:().
Thanks!

Be wary of the "four 12's a week", because I learned very quickly when I started in acutes that that 12 hour figure is just a guideline, but there is really no set shift in acutes, especially if you are short staffed, which most acutes programs seem to be. If you have been there for 12 hours and ER calls the floor to say that they are sending another patient who needs dialysis and there isn't another nurse there to take over for you, it's you, baby, you have to stay and run the treatment. The shortest treatment is generally 2 hours but they can run as long as four hours (I've had one 5 hour tx but that is rare), so by the time that you set up your machine, call for orders, physically get the patient to the room, run the treatment, tear down the machine and disinfect it, you are into it for a minimum of another four hours. This doesn't happen daily, or even weekly, but it does happen with some regularity, so beware if anyone tries to tell you that you will always work 12 hour shifts, because there is no way that they can promise that. "You don't get off until you're done" definitely has a different meaning in acute dialysis than it does for a floor nurse who has a replacement coming and being done means finishing charting, reporting off to the next shift or whatever. In acutes, "being done" can and sometimes does take you into the wee hours of the morning.

Just being honest so that you know what you are getting into. I do work for Fresenius, but this seems to be the same regardless of which company you work for.

I like Fresenius, I think their training is excellent, and yes, the benefits are very good too. Acute dialysis is its own entity no matter who you work for. It is like no other type of nursing that I have ever done. It has its good and its bad points, but long hours is definitely going to be a part of it for anyone, it's just the nature of the beast.

icurn11 · Dec 15, 2013

Thanks for all the info. I plan to ask is there a limit to the day....if you could possibly end up with an emergency situation and end up with a 17 or 18 hour day. That would kill me. I did a 16 once when my relief didn't come in. It had been a very good shift, and I was still wiped out. I'm pretty sure I'll be expected to take call, especially if they are so short-staffed that they know they will be paying me overtime. I think I will like the job itself, it's just if I can handle the hours. I'm getting old and my feet and back remind me every day that I'm not 20, lol.

westieluv · Dec 15, 2013

I've had 19-20 hour days. Not a lot of them, but I've had them, and so have all of my co-workers.

I think the bottom line is that it depends on your specific department within Fresenius. If you are in a large market with extra staff for on-call, then it may not be bad at all, or if you are in a smaller market where you rarely if ever get called in after hours. As another PP pointed out, though, the mid-sized departments are the ones that are tough (which is what I am in), because you don't have enough business to warrant extra help after hours, but you are busy enough to get add-ons and call-ins after hours on a fairly consistent basis, and without that extra help.