Dormkare1

The best thing... the patients The worst thing.... The staff:crying2:

I am new to dialysis too. August 30 will be my one year. I felt terrible for a long time and still do at times. My confidence has tumbled since I started this job. I think the training process is wrong. When hired as a RN I don't feel that the orientation is adequate. I agree with PCT training first but I think more emphasis is needed on the RN side of things also. Some PCT's need to realize that we have a job to do too. I am always willing to help on the floor but when there are two PCT to 8pts, they should be able to function on their own so I can oversee the clinic and complete my job duties. I have made mistakes in this learning process, my clinical manager has NOT been supportive! Actually discusses my errors with other staff members! Love the job, do not appreciate the staff at times. No autonomy, no confidence! Thinking about leaving too. I used to pride myself on my nursing abilities, assessment, intervention, careplanning.... now I dont know:uhoh3:

Sorry I can't help you. Just wondering if you have found anything out re; travel dialysis? I am considering the same thing! :) What are you looking for? I am interested in the south during the winter months and minnesota in the summer months. I currently work for FMC in a twelve chair clinic. Took this job to hopefully get ready for travel some day. Have a great day!

Agreed!! I am interested in dialysis travel nursing. How did you get started?

Hello, well I have been working with fresenius for almost one year. I am new to dialysis and new to FMS. The benefits here aren't bad but I am disillusioned. The job offer I accepted was false and I quit a job of 12 years to take it:angryfire . We are now unionized so that might make a difference as far as pay and benefits go. Yes we have PTO but the cap is ridiculous!:rotfl: Can earn 200 hours a year but after 120 the rest go to ESL!:angryfire FMS seems to be concerned more about the bottom dolar than pt. care sometimes. I encourage you to search this site, there has been alot of input about this company. Good Luck!

Our clinic has two machines set aside at all times for acute runs or if we need to trade one out for another. These machines are cleaned,acid cleaned and heat disinfected every day and are bleach cleaned and dialysate filter tested once a week. We have one RO machine which is flushed and backwashed every day also.I do not know why our facility does not use acute pool nurses. I guess FMC can save some dollars if they don't. Not sure what their thinking is, just do what needs to be done. I agree that a declot procedure should be considered an emergency especially for high K+ and fluid overload! :)

:chuckle :chuckle Too Funny!! Laughed my mascare off at that one!!!:chuckle :chuckle

:chuckle You go girl!!!

I completely agree with you. As if we don't have enough to worry about now we have to try and impress people while all we truly want to do is take care of our pt.s and keep them safe. I do have a pt. who wishes not to be seen and will need a screen. I am very nervous that I will not be able to observe her at all times. God forbid that something awful happens I wonder what will happen during turnover when all of us are runing around? What will the "visitors" think then?

This hospital does not have an "acute unit" I run the pt. in their room on the med/surg floor or in ICU. Wherever they happen to be. Usually have to call maintainence every time because I can not unscrew the faucet head to attach the RO. I do not know why they do not hire an acute nurse, if they did the nurse would have to be casual and "on call" which I think would stink. As I am sure you are aware. Administrations insight and reality are two very different things so I do not know how they plan on resolving this. If a pt. comes to ER and needs stat dialysis ie; high K+, the pt, must be sent out because I do not work on call and never will. I would quit first.:)

We are a freestanding clinc but attached to a hospital with no affiliation. In the morning, first thing, I call to find out if there are any acutes to run. If there are, I go do them and the clinical manager works the floor. However, on the days she is not in the clinic the pt.s in acute are forced into having to be sent to another hospital 1 1/2 hours away. The powers that be are aware of this but I have heard of no resolution to this dilemma. I guess I am in demand there. WOW what a popular girl I am:rotfl: We do not have alot of acutes to run as we only have 27 pt.s in our clinic. I like doing the acutes, interesting and gets me away from the hectic clinic enviornment for awhile.:)

:) Thanks to all of you for you input. The nephrologist stepped in and and resolved the situation. My clinical manager was present when this happened and she took matters into her own hands. Yes, it is possible that this nurse had a hectic day, but don't we all? Treating other nurses with professionalism is always the right thing to do. If you are having a bad or hectic day there is no reason to take your frustrations out on someone else who may be having the same kind of day. RE; acute dialysis post op, I am the acute nurse also and if there is no other nurse in the clinic I am not able to do acute runs. The nephrologist is aware of this situation also and works closely with my clinical manager to prevent this event from happening although emergent situations can't be planned for. We did call surgery scheduling first and received no help, that is why we were hoping to find help through the surgeons nurse. We run 12 hour shifts three days a week and our shcedule is very tight. One adjustment can throw the whole pt. schedule off. I don't mind some overtime, but I do not wish to work another 4-5 hours because we health professionals fail to work as a team. My pt. will run on her shceduled day post op down in our clinic. Everything worked out.:) Thanks again:p I should add, if I am unable to do the acute run the pt. is sent via ambulance ( at great expense) to a hospital 1 1/2 hours away! Needless to say, our staffing situation is in need of repair. :rotfl:

I work for a dialysis clinic attached to a hospital. A patient is going in to have a declot on a scheduled dialysis day. I called surgery scheduling and the surgeons nurse to let them know that I only had two available times to dialyze this pt. on that particular day as the clinic is only open 3 days/week and hours are 5:45AM-6:15PM. Explained that if we could not fit her in she would not be able to receive her dialysis at our clinic. NO HELP. They could not tell me what time her surgery would be and the nurse Laughed about it!! She asked me if I was serious!! Can you believe it?! :imbar No respect between nurse "professionals" no understanding of the importance for hemodialysis or the patient's healthcare needs!!!!!

Yeah, The math at the end f a 12-13 hour day does stink. We also have to use the 20000 vial at the end only and do all the calculating. Glad calculators were invented!!:chuckle

We use the dead space needles also but I still feel as tho I am not giving the accurate amount of EPO sometimes because of those air bubbles. Another "new" dialsysis nurse is having the same problem. Must be doing something right as our Hgb stay pretty stable. Hard time adjusting to new job:uhoh21: Thanks again.