Eileen Meyers

I love dialysis! It has it's issues, but that's anywhere in nursing. My schedule is reasonable. We are open 6 days a week, every Sunday and major holidays off. I start at 0430 and usually done at 1430-1500, depending on census. We only have 12 chairs so it's a small clinic. I would just ask a lot of questions. Management and staffing make a huge difference in your experience. Ask how many patients, how many shifts? How much staff is there and how many are new vs experienced?

I agree with Hoosier. It takes a good year to be comfortable just doing all the regular RN work. Your FA should know better. Of course, you mention she has no clinical skills, so maybe she doesn't know...At any rate, I hope it works out for you.

@DeLana_RN,BSN. It really wasn't bad. More paperwork and regulations, but that's anywhere in nursing. I felt the orientation period really prepared me well. Machines, cannulation, water room- there are some changes and updates but nothing too hard. Basic principles still apply, so it's just getting up to speed. I love being back- hope you do, too!

Twitter - Maybe if I was younger! I'm also realizing I really like hands-on care and the technical aspects of dialysis. I guess I'm just a dialysis nurse at heart. ?

Have you had any classroom time? 4 weeks of training is not enough, in my opinion, to learn everything and be proficient. In my company, you can't be the solo RN in a clinic for a year. I can barely remember my initial training (1996), but when I came back 3 years ago after a 10-year absence I had about 8 weeks of travel every week to classes and also did some hands-on at the clinic. After the classroom work, I still had another month of training. I thought it was overkill initially, but I felt really prepared when it was done. 2 days is not enough time to be proficient at setting up, priming, navigating, and charting!

I've decided to go back to dialysis. I think I'm a dialysis nurse at heart-even with the issues that are there. Still hate leaving the office after such a short time, but it's not going to get any better at this point. I even have providers that have been there years that are talking about leaving. So I guess I'm in good company.

I am finding that I don't have the authority to do much of anything. I can make some small changes and I have implemented some measures that have improved things somewhat, but the more systemic issues that are causing big problems are way beyond me, for instance antiquated IT and poor training. Every place definitely has its issues for sure! I'm leaning towards going back to the clinic- there's some craziness there,but I'm not the one that has to fix it.

The staffing issue is supposed to be temporary, but it's a bit of a revolving door, particularly with the MAs. They have never increased the staff even though when I worked here before we had 3 providers and now we have 8. The keep seeing they will approve 2 more, but we're still waiting for the budget to be approved. We still haven't filled one of the spots from an MA leaving in April. We did make an offer to a great candidate, but we couldn't match her current salary. As far as benefits, it's not a deal breaker, but it's really been helpful. Most of the reasons I left dialysis are still there, but the managers I interviewed with for this job weren't up front with the situation I was walking in to. If they had been up front I probably wouldn't have taken it. Still, I hate to leave the providers I work with; I know they are hoping I can turn things around.

I've been in my clinical coordinator role in a busy endocrinology/weight management practice for 8 months. I am beyond frustrated. I ended up with minimal training- nothing specifically for my position except the EHR and payroll systems. We are severely understaffed with 4 clinical staff, 1 triage nurse, and me for 10 providers. We also have various providers going to outreach clinics multiple times a month, so I lose staff each week to that. I really dislike all the paperwork- we do all the prior auths and scheduling for all the endo testing, diabetes supplies, and meds, etc. It's really involved and there is nothing anywhere in writing. I've been making a reference binder as I learn procedures, but still a long way to go. I am supposed to be 0.8 coordinater, 0.2 staff, but is more reversed at this point. I absolutely love the providers I work with- except for one. She, unfortunately, struggles with mental illness (she has told us this), and I feel for her, but she keeps the office in chaos with some of her behavior and admin doesn't seem to want to do anything about it. I am the quintessential middle manager- all the responsibility, none of the power. I found out that my old job is hiring and I most likely could go in and pick right back up. There were some downsides to it, but at least I knew what I was doing. The two major things that are stopping me: I have really good benefits now, and I feel like I would really let my team down by leaving so soon. I'm really torn on what to do! Suggestions or thoughts?

The new job..hmm....not really liking it. So.much.paperwork. Poor training. A new MD that keeps things in chaos and admin is doing nothing. Way understaffed. Continual problems with the EHR/phone/download systems. I am beyond frustrated. On my first day I had 3 different people tell me I had my work cut out for me- and I was told that repeatedly over the next several weeks. If I would have known what this would turn into I wouldn't have taken the job. And now my old dialysis clinic has an RN position open. I think I would jump at it, but I would feel so bad leaving after such a short time with people I genuinely enjoy working with- who have high hopes for improving the office. All the same problems are still at the dialysis clinic, but I pretty much know what I'm getting into. Really don't know what to do.