Is Dialysis considered Critical Care?

[nurseontheway]

Hello everyone. I had a friend tell me that working in dialysis is considered as critical care experience. Is this true? I am wondering if I need some good ole Med/Surg experience to get where I really want to go. Thanks!

[traumaRUs, MSN, APRN]

No dialysis is not considered critical care.

ICU is critical care.

[Rocknurse, MSN, APRN, NP]

Although Acute Dialysis in the ICU could be considered Critical Care, considering that most Acute Dialysis nurses have ICU experience.

[traumaRUs, MSN, APRN]

I disagree with you Rocknurse: dialysis in the ICU only covers the dialysis, not the total care of the patient.

So, the dialysis nurse is more task-oriented whereas the ICU nurse oversees the total care.

[nurseontheway]

I work in a clinic and it is for end stage renal disease. We basically start/end treatments, go over their labs, do care plans, progress notes etc.

[MJB2010]

I don't think dialysis is critical care at all, but acute dialysis you are taking care of critical/ icu patients. I would not say it is critical care experience per se, but you do get to care for critical patients and have more complexity of mutliple medical issues going on while dialyzing. Outpatient dialysis is not critical care, but the patients treat the clinic like their own personal ER so you do get a lot of varied experience. Not critical care, though.

So what I am saying is, if someone is looking for 1 year critical care experience, I think they are looking for ICU/CCU etc. But you would have good exposure to it that might get you a leg up if you were an acute dialysis nurse working with ICU patients and applying for a job that would train you in critical care or icu.

[MJB2010]

No, this is not critical care experience.

What are you looking to get into? Where do you really want to go?

[nurseontheway]

Pediatrics

[traumaRUs, MSN, APRN]

Hmm - for peds I would look into peds home care, peds offices, peds private duty, pediatrics floor at the hospital, PICU.

[nurseontheway]

I need my BSN for the hospital that we have here and was also told that Med/Surg experience would be ideal. The only place that I could find to hire me was a dialysis clinic. It was the last area I ever wanted to go into lol but I have ended up liking it. There is never a dull moment. I have always wanted to work with children so that is my ultimate goal. I will get there eventually!

[CCRNDiva, BSN, RN]

FYI, acute dialysis RNs do not assume responsibility for the critically ill patient. The patient remains the responsibility of the the ICU RN while the dialysis RN maintains responsibility for the HD treatment.

[Guttercat, ASN, RN]

FYI, acute dialysis RNs do not assume responsibility for the critically ill patient. The patient remains the responsibility of the the ICU RN while the dialysis RN maintains responsibility for the HD treatment.

That's what I think too, whenever the primary ICU RN disappears for four hours while I'm dialyzing their patient.

:)