Room2Move

My oldest sister, first-born, is an RN. My middle sister is an alcoholic. Separated by several years, along came me. I was a part-time caregiver to our alcoholic father. This is a fascinating thread.

DeLana, Thanks for taking time to write a thoughtful reply. This is great information for anyone considering becoming a dialysis nurse. Should I decide to go forward with this, I will definitely ask to shadow a dialysis nurse at the clinic.

I am lookng for a new job and am considering applying for a position as a dialysis nurse. I am wondering, what qualities make a good dialysis nurse? A little bit about me. I graduated in Dec 05 and have been working in acute care at a pediatric hospital. My strengths are patient and family relationships, maturity (I am an older, new nurse),and attention to detail. Things I dislike: running around all night without a bathroom break, illegible handwriting by MD's, and management that is out of touch with what really happens on the floor. I'm joking a little about the first two. It is really the management that is driving me out of here for reasons I don't care to go into -- that would be a whole other thread. What I want to know is what qualities make a good dialysis nurse? I don't want to waste my time or the resources of a dialysis clinic by going through orientation and then not having a good fit.

Sounds like a bidet to me. They are very popular in Europe.

I have to laugh as I read this thread. I started working in Peds about a month ago. My children are in their late teens now, and I keep thinking to myself, "I'm so glad my children are grown, I would have been scared to death had I only known about all the things that could go wrong." Peds is a great place to be. I love it.

At the bottom of the article, here's what the hospital says is potential HIPPA violoation: ORMC said Mejia is requesting information on if there were other patients or someone on her floor with the streptococcus. They said, if they release that to her, that would be a violation of other patients' rights. What a sad, sad story.

Grace, Best of luck to you, although I don't think you'll need it. It sounds like you have what it takes to be a fantastic pedi nurse. When I tell people that I'm going to do pediatric nursing, many of my classmates say, "I could never so that." And I think, why would I want to do anything else?

Beth, I'm afraid I don't follow the meaning of your comment. Are you talking about problems caused by language barriers, or by cultural differences? Perhaps you could provide an example.

Thanks for starting this thread. I graduate in December and start my dream job working in a children's hospital in January (surgical unit). I am very excited, but also nervous because I want to do my best. I love the idea of telling a young one that "your hand has to drink for you". This is the kind of creative communication that I think makes Pedi World lots of fun. Any other suggstions/tips from you experienced pedi nurses will be much appreciated!

Thank you for your replies. Coopergrrl, what is INH? I haven't been out of the US and always tested negative. We have to be retested every year for nursing school. All I can think of is that I was exposed to it during clinicals. I didn't have any patients diagnosed with TB, but I did do a rotation on a respiratory unit. Raging mom, my doc said he'd do a CXR on Friday if the second test is positive.

I had my annual TB skin test two days ago. There is an approx. 6 cm red bump on my arm where the PPD was injected. My doctor looked at it today and ordered a retest for my other arm. He said if I have a reaction to the second test, then he will do a chest X-ray. Has anyone else had a postive TB skin test? Does it affect your employment, or ability to be hired? I am still a student and will be starting job interviews this semester.

Good for you for standing up for yourself. Today you were a mighty mouse!

He's a real do-it-yourselfer, in more ways than one.

You're right, this is a great place to ask questions and vent your thoughts. I think that by writing down the cold, hard facts of the situation, you now clearly see the correct path to follow. Put aside your personal feelings about your coworker. Don't wait for another incident. You rightly asked her to stop this [dangerous, unethical] practice. She chose not to. Move up the chain of command. Report her now. Your license and the safety of your patients are on the line. Good luck!