S.P.

I'm hoping the rules haven't changed since you went through. I'd love to work with renal patients and give back a bit.

Having gone through dialysis and transplantation, it's something that doesn't leave you. It's nothing I hide. If anything i'm proud of modern medicine and what benefits came to myself from it. I'm sure somewhere through the interview process it would come up. As in, "Why do want to work in the renal department?" As far as being afraid of getting sick from contagious people, yes I'm at more risk, but I've also learned to take better care of myself than the average person. I've had to, given the circumstance. I just want to be certain that a hospital would be interested in me as a candidate to work with renal patients.

It's good to see others that have had transplants are able to work in the nursing profession. It gives hope. I am not looking at it from a discrimination view, but as a health view. My concern is with a suppressed iummune system that administrators would not like the idea of myself being more susceptible to contracting something from patients. I was unsure if that would be a determining factor in employment limiting me if, or where I could work.

After going through dialysis and having a transplant it changed my life profoundly. It has taken me quite some time to get back to a normal lifestyle. It's been 7 years since my transplant and everything is 100%. So I'm considering career options and would love to give back and help people that are in the circumstance I was once. Having a unique perspective that most nurses won't have I feel I could sympathize very well with patients. But given that I am on immunosuppressants, would a hospital allow me to work for them?