New job in Dialysis!

Specialties Urology

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Hi everybody! I posted in the past that I was interested in giving dialysis nursing a try. Well I just accepted a position with DCI. I tried long term care but it’s not working out like I though so I decided to finally take the leap and try dialysis. I’m nervous yet excited! 

Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

Advice:  Become good at cannulating and doing what the techs do if you can. Many nurses have never cannulated a fistula or even know how to string a machine. I have found I have a lot of respect and support from our techs cause I can jump in and do anything to help, including cannulating new/baby fistulas. I can string a machine in less than 2 minutes also so if they get behind it's simple enough to jump in and do that. They like having an RN who can back them up if things get hairy. They will respect the heck out of you.

When patients come off, as soon as they are unhooked from the machine I strip it and put it into its cleaning/heat cycles. This saves tons of time for everyone including me. The techs can't leave until the machines are done so they will love you if you do this simple thing for them.

This is not to say that as nurses you won't have a lot of your own work to do;  you will. But if the techs are doing well, you will be, too.

Also I believe I cannot properly supervise anyone whose job I cannot fathom to do. That thinking must come from my military experience.

I welcome you to dialysis and wish you each great success. I will check back and see if questions or problems come up that I can help you with.

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Specializes in Wound Care, Public Health, Dialysis, Primary Care.
5 hours ago, SmilingBluEyes said:

Advice:  Become good at cannulating and doing what the techs do if you can. Many nurses have never cannulated a fistula or even know how to string a machine. I have found I have a lot of respect and support from our techs cause I can jump in and do anything to help, including cannulating new/baby fistulas. I can string a machine in less than 2 minutes also so if they get behind it's simple enough to jump in and do that. They like having an RN who can back them up if things get hairy. They will respect the heck out of you.

When patients come off, as soon as they are unhooked from the machine I strip it and put it into its cleaning/heat cycles. This saves tons of time for everyone including me. The techs can't leave until the machines are done so they will love you if you do this simple thing for them.

This is not to say that as nurses you won't have a lot of your own work to do;  you will. But if the techs are doing well, you will be, too.

Also I believe I cannot properly supervise anyone whose job I cannot fathom to do. That thinking must come from my military experience.

I welcome you to dialysis and wish you each great success. I will check back and see if questions or problems come up that I can help you with.

Thanks for this advice! And this is actually how my clinic does the training! 

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Specializes in Dialysis.
20 hours ago, SmilingBluEyes said:

Advice:  Become good at cannulating and doing what the techs do if you can. Many nurses have never cannulated a fistula or even know how to string a machine. I have found I have a lot of respect and support from our techs cause I can jump in and do anything to help, including cannulating new/baby fistulas. I can string a machine in less than 2 minutes also so if they get behind it's simple enough to jump in and do that. They like having an RN who can back them up if things get hairy. They will respect the heck out of you.

When patients come off, as soon as they are unhooked from the machine I strip it and put it into its cleaning/heat cycles. This saves tons of time for everyone including me. The techs can't leave until the machines are done so they will love you if you do this simple thing for them.

This is not to say that as nurses you won't have a lot of your own work to do;  you will. But if the techs are doing well, you will be, too.

Also I believe I cannot properly supervise anyone whose job I cannot fathom to do. That thinking must come from my military experience.

I welcome you to dialysis and wish you each great success. I will check back and see if questions or problems come up that I can help you with.

I 2nd this. I pick up extra hours as a tech at my clinic and a neighboring clinic. I keep up okay, and they always say that they appreciate my help. And everyone helps me when needed. Some days it's nice to tech plus it keeps me aware of accesses

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Specializes in Wound Care, Public Health, Dialysis, Primary Care.

Just wanted to give an update since it’s been a while! So things started out pretty good but then got rough because my preceptor and I weren’t a good match and the clinic I was assigned to was extremely fast paced. It was too overwhelming for me. So the nurse educator suggested that I shadow in the home therapy dept to see if I would be interested in the home hemodialysis position that was available. I will transfer to the home therapy dept! 

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Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.
1 hour ago, Yellownurse15 said:

Just wanted to give an update since it’s been a while! So things started out pretty good but then got rough because my preceptor and I weren’t a good match and the clinic I was assigned to was extremely fast paced. It was too overwhelming for me. So the nurse educator suggested that I shadow in the home therapy dept to see if I would be interested in the home hemodialysis position that was available. I will transfer to the home therapy dept! 

You probably will like home therapies. I know nurses who have done that for years and years.

I hope this is a better fit for you. Good luck to you.

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Thanks for the update @Yellownurse15.

I've been on my own now in acutes for about 1 month and I love it. One patient at a time bedside in the hospital,  only 2 patients a day. 

The patient's are usually very appreciative and it's nice to not be running around frantically trying to get a million tasks done in too little time. 

I've found my forever home in nursing.  

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Specializes in Wound Care, Public Health, Dialysis, Primary Care.
On 7/16/2021 at 9:17 PM, SmilingBluEyes said:

You probably will like home therapies. I know nurses who have done that for years and years.

I hope this is a better fit for you. Good luck to you.

Thank you! The only thing I don’t like about the position is the on call. But no job is perfect right?

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Specializes in Wound Care, Public Health, Dialysis, Primary Care.
38 minutes ago, vegasmomma said:

Thanks for the update @Yellownurse15.

I've been on my own now in acutes for about 1 month and I love it. One patient at a time bedside in the hospital,  only 2 patients a day. 

The patient's are usually very appreciative and it's nice to not be running around frantically trying to get a million tasks done in too little time. 

I've found my forever home in nursing.  

I’m so glad you’re enjoying acutes! Maybe I’ll try it one day. I would be nervous about being on my own but at the same time I would love it once I felt comfortable enough. What is your schedule like? 

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It's 3 12 hr shifts plus 1 12 hr call shift on a 4th day. Seems like a lot but the workload is so easy compared to any other nursing job I've had I'm fine with it. The money is good because I get time and a half when working  on call. 

I was nervous being on my own at first but I have so many people I can call for help or questions I haven't ever felt alone.  It's usually been about an alarm on the machine and how to troubleshoot it. 

Just throwing my experience out there for anyone considering acutes. It's way better than regular bedside nursing.  

 

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Specializes in Wound Care, Public Health, Dialysis, Primary Care.
7 minutes ago, vegasmomma said:

It's 3 12 hr shifts plus 1 12 hr call shift on a 4th day. Seems like a lot but the workload is so easy compared to any other nursing job I've had I'm fine with it. The money is good because I get time and a half when working  on call. 

I was nervous being on my own at first but I have so many people I can call for help or questions I haven't ever felt alone.  It's usually been about an alarm on the machine and how to troubleshoot it. 

Just throwing my experience out there for anyone considering acutes. It's way better than regular bedside nursing.  

 

Thanks for sharing! I’m out of training as of last week and I’m working in the in center chronic unit until after my vacation. Then I’ll transfer to home hemo dept. My schedule will then be Monday- Friday 0800-1630. And I’ll have an on call cell phone that I’ll get paid to carry. 

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@Yellownurse15  Please share your experiences and thoughts about home hemo once you are into it. I don't know anything about it but would like to.

8-1630 sounds nice. Is the hourly pay the same? 

Best of luck to you!! 

 

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Specializes in Wound Care, Public Health, Dialysis, Primary Care.
13 minutes ago, vegasmomma said:

@Yellownurse15  Please share your experiences and thoughts about home hemo once you are into it. I don't know anything about it but would like to.

8-1630 sounds nice. Is the hourly pay the same? 

Best of luck to you!! 

 

Yes my pay will stay the same. I will post an update once I start training in home hemo. And thanks! 

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