TNValley

TNValley has 13 years experience.

Latest Activity

1. Staffing

   TNValley replied to VickiSunderland's topic in Urology

   1 RN to 15 patients. Alabama. If there are more than 15 patients at a time there must be 2 RN's. I'm fortunate to work nocturnal, so it's 15 patients (more stable than your usual dayshift patients) and 2 CCHT's with years and years of experience. Da...

2. newbie, need input

   TNValley replied to Kellili's topic in Urology

   Welcome to wonderland. No, I have no idea just how deep the rabbit hole goes, but congrats on jumping in with us! It's always a good idea to ask your CCHT's about your patients' histories of tolerating treatments. Sometimes the patients won't trus...

3. Dialysis nurses: Needing advice :)

   TNValley replied to alby_dangle's topic in Urology

   The good news is as a new graduate you can be hired into dialysis. The better news is as a new RN and new to dialysis it will most likely be a good while before you're left on your own. Have a look at the Acute dialysis posts. There's lots of pro'...

4. Emergency meds through IJ

   TNValley replied to Kaysmom8's topic in Urology

   Most of the nephrologists and vascular surgeons I know would raise an eyebrow and give that head-tilt-silent-it-just-dropped-60-degrees-in-here stare to using a CVC for anything but dialysis treatments. Some wouldn't have a problem with it as a last...

5. Help me understand the stigma Acute Care Vs. "The Rest of Them"

   TNValley replied to SNBTaylor's topic in General Nursing

   Working as a CNA in LTC put me through nursing school without a student loan. I was offered a job (ugh, med cart) after I finished school and got licensed, but six months of passing meds to 30-40 residents about drove me insane. Working LTC did hel...

6. Dialysis Facility Compare - CMS

   TNValley replied to TNValley's topic in Urology

   Yikes! Now that is just sad. Our government booted Gambro out of the country, right? That was the company I started working for back in '02. After the Gambro (and those nice benefits _silent tear_) departure the clinic/clinics I worked in were bo...

7. How many of you actually enjoy your job?!

   TNValley replied to kwerno00's topic in General Nursing

   I enjoy my job. I even enjoy, as do most of us, years later recalling those days of pure horror where the thought of taking hostages almost became a reality. p.s. bad dialysis days are bad, really really bad, but surviving them is great, really reall...

8. Dialysis vs. Hospital Nursing

   TNValley replied to msgirl68's topic in Urology

   Go for it! You might love it. I'd definitely ask about the clinic's "scores" (how they stack up to the local competition) before I accepted a job just anywhere, though. I see a disturbing better reimbursement to "better score" clinics developing i...

9. AVF

   TNValley replied to cpdialysisnurse's topic in Urology

   Once you've heard that "whistling" of a failing access you'll never forget it. Access Flow monitoring should be mandatory for all AVF/AVG patients.

10. Dialysis staff nurse salary in US

    TNValley replied to bambam123's topic in Urology

    Range for North Alabama is from $22/hr for new hires with no experience to $34/hr for 10+ years of experience. That's base pay, not including weekend/evening/nocturnal diff's.

11. Dialysis Facility Compare - CMS

    TNValley posted a topic in Urology

    I must've been sleeping under a rock? How'd I miss this? Anyways, I thought I'd share: Medicare Dialysis Facility Compare Facility Search I also saw a good article from Dialysis Patient Citizens and the National Kidney Foundation responding to the st...

12. January 2015 Top 8 Captions - Help Select $100 Winner

    TNValley replied to Joe V's topic in Announcements

    Aww, sorry I missed out on this one. "That doc you paged two hours ago is on line #2."

13. How do you staff your Fresenius?

    TNValley replied to sammyjo24's topic in Urology

    No no no Anna S, not the "T" word There was a big push in 2014 to eliminate agency/temp workers in clinics everywhere. As for "Traveling" staff, that means float, right? All new hires as of last fall are float staff. Yes, you've got your home cl...

14. Here's the painful truth

    TNValley replied to GlennGanza's topic in Urology

    I got into HD in 2002 around the time when the duopoly was gaining momentum. Like you've described I was fortunate to have been in the right place at the right time to get decent raises/offers. The gorillas blaming "The Bundle" for everything is g...

15. How do you staff your Fresenius?

    TNValley replied to sammyjo24's topic in Urology

    Yep, 1:15 for 'Bama. I see this magical 1:12 number being floated around, but it's just a fairy tale around here. Although, there are some 10 and 12 chair clinics. I worked a 10 chair clinic in TN once upon a time, it was almost like being on vacatio...