kasmus

doro8144, When we go to the ICU it is 1:1. On the unit, RN's can have up to 2pts. I try not to have 2 pts when I am alone on the unit but sometimes it can't be helped. We are hoping the hospital will require more staffing or provide a resource nurse for us.

klaRN01, I do four 10 hour shifts a week with some on call time. It's a hospital so there are w/e's and holidays. For my hospital, we have stable shifts like 07 to 1730 or I work 1000 to 2030. I do travel to other hospitals in the the city that Davita is affiliated so the work is pretty steady. Every hospital is different in staffing, I am alone in the hospital (on my unit) with pts but we are working on changing that to at least 2 staff on or at least a resource nurse to help. I had three months of training and Davita is really accepting of the learning curve and I wasn't left alone for six months. I am sure if I wasn't comfortable, they would've worked with me to get there. I hope this helps...

I have been a dialysis nurse for almost a year. I work in the acute settings, dialysis patients in the hospital. I am typing this from the ICU now. Dialysis can be boring sometimes and exciting others, had a code blue today. Davita is a really good company to work for and they treat their employees well. I have never worked in a chronic clinic but thoses nurses work their ass off (I'm told!) They are often responsible for 12 mostly stable patients, are responsible for all meds, assessments, etc. There are PCT's (nursing assitants) that put and take the pt off dialysis, you as the RN are in charge. I enjoy doing dialysis in the hospital, I am an acute dialysis nurse. Like I said, I have no personal experience to offer you from the chronic clinic standpoint. If you're sick of dispensing meds all day, diapers, colostomy bags, dialysis nurses do not usually deal with those things but notice, I wrote USUALLY. It has happened where a pad needed changing, a colostomy bag opened/emptied and PRNs are given but it is not the norm for my position. I hope this was helpful, write back if you need more. P.S I work with several nurses that have been doing dialysis for 25 years and love it!