550Qb

With the exception of a patient with Dementia and a Schizophenic patient (both who pulled their own needles out)....every other incident of needle dislodgement I have run across was due to an inadequate tape job... it's very frustrating. I suggest re-educating direct patient care staff re: proper taping procedures.

5 weeks is nowhere near enough. If I were you I would request several weeks to work with a PCT prior to learning the nursing role. Once you are comfortable with the PCT role and you can set up, put on, take off, tear down, and trouble shoot machine problems.... then you can start worrying about training for your nursing tasks. You're already a nurse- it's all about learning to prioritize and manage your time in terms of nursing tasks. Your job as a nurse will be a lot more manageable once you're capable of helping the techs out and you're not intimidated by the tasks you aren't familiar with (the "tech work").

My first nursing job- scratch that- my first HEALTHCARE job EVER was as a dialysis nurse in the largest clinic in my area (30 chairs)... I have toughed it through every challenge thrown my way and as a result- I start my new job next month... as a Charge Nurse at a 32 chair clinic!! If you love dialysis and this is really what you want to do- PLEASE take my advice: Work your hardest and learn everything you can- this experience and this time spent "working as a tech" is probably going to be the most valuable foundation a new dialysis nurse could ask for! I know it doesn't seem like it to you now... but TRUST me! If you really want to grow into a great DIALYSIS nurse... then embrace this time and work your hardest until you can manage all of your own work AND to help the techs out... and if they aren't helping you out- ask yourself what MORE you can do to gain their respect? I know that sounds harsh- but when you've gained the respect of the techs you work with (and this is REALLY hard for a new nurse with no dialysis experience- trust me- I know!) when you've gained their respect they will help you! Are you assessing your patients? If not you should- this will take you a few minutes TOPS, help out the nurse "working as a nurse", and help you gain some experience! It might also help you feel a little bit more "like a nurse." And one more bit of advice- taking away your stethoscope/making you work nights/putting you on the PCT schedule- those things don't change the fact that you're a nurse... Caring for people and nursing judgement make you a nurse and no one can take that from you. Good luck! I hope you stay with it :)

20 minute hold time? Do you think the mid-dose is being given late?

TUMS on sites? explain this please :)

How much did you challenge the EDW? We're only allowed to take 1 additional kg without a doctor's order.

You are NOT lame. You are ANYTHING but lame... I'm a RN and I work with 2 LPNs who kick "you know what" and let me tell you what I've learned from this whole situation: You can take away a nurse's stethoscope and you can tell her she's not allowed to chart lung sounds- but you CANNOT take away her ability to assess her patients- but heeeey! you can call her assessments "data collection" if it helps you sleep at night. Do you get what I'm saying?!? Don't let this sillyness discourage you and if you had any doubts what-so-ever PLEASE let me clear them up for you: You are valued without a stethoscope. You are appreciated without a stethoscope. You make a difference without a stethoscope.

Are you talking about post tx or during tx?

The more experienced nurses in my clinic love to answer my questions with a question "...in your specialty?" You get it? In dialysis you have to throw a lot of "norms" out the window... my best advice is to ask your tech (who has most likely been caring for that patient for years) how the BP usually runs AND what the patient looks like/starts acting like when their BP starts dropping... if my tech tells me that the patient has been running that low for 5 years and sits straight up with an expression of panic before dropping- then I'm not so worried... if my tech tells me that the patient has been running that low recently and the patient sleeps all treatment... then I worry... no magic number- sorry.

We got payed today! So depending on when you start... Q2 weeks from today :)

We fill pill boxes for patients at my clinic... for blind patients/patient who have poor vision and also patients who are consistently messing up their medications... We're all busy all the time with way to much to do and never enough time to do it... but filling pill boxes doesn't bother me- I'm just glad my patients are taking the correct medications :)