interested in dialysis

[annieboo444]

I have always been interested in dialysis since I started nursing. I have been a tele/med surg nurse for about 2 and half years. I have applied a couple of times but never get hired. I have had 2 phone interviews with davita but I think they give every one a phone interview as their screening process. I am going on maternity leave in about 2 months and really don't want to return to my floor. I want something new! Any suggestions on how to get a dialysis job? Also what is the day like in a chronics?

[Chisca, RN]

At least in acutes I would not recommend working in dialysis with a small child. Lots of on call and 16+ hour shifts. Clinic dialysis might be a different story.

[westieluv]

I have done both, and working in a chronic unit is definitely a much more stable job as far as your schedule. I second not doing acutes with a new baby, because you will be exhausted and there is no set work schedule, you get done when you get done. If you end up working 16 hours and then come home dead on your feet only to find that the baby wants to stay up all night, you will hate your job.

In my area at least, it seems that the chronic units prefer to hire nurses with dialysis experience unless they are in less desirable areas, and then the Big Two (Fresenius and Davita) will put something like, "Will train!" in the job posting. The acute departments here are not as picky because there is a much higher turnover and you have to work weekends and holidays and take on call. Chronic units usually give you every Sunday and major holiday off (because they are closed on those days), which is great. Maybe it is different in your area, this has just been my experience.

Maybe start out doing acutes on a per diem basis so that you can get the training and just arrange for someone very reliable to be available to watch the baby on short notice on the days that you work? Full-time acutes would be way too much on call with a new baby.