wir5

I am soon (Dec, 05) to graduate with an MSN/MBA/HCM degree. I am interested in CNS in renal management. How and where can I find additional information? I would appreciate any help. Mary

I am a dialysis nurse. Is there a place for the renal patients to dialyze and is there adequate staff? Please direct me to whomever I need to contact. Thanks, Mary

I could not access this site, but would like to read the article. I know that there are dialysis cruises. I had a friend go to Alaska (working) on one, however, not much time for fun and sightseeing when you must be working. She had a great time, anyways. I would love to do it once, to see how it goes. I have been on 2 non-working Alaskan cruises, so perhaps this would be a good way to go, again. I have seen what I wanted to, so I could work, and enjoy the food.

I have been listening to all of the horror going on as a result of Katrina. CNN has briefly mentioned that there are many dialysis patients who have not had treatments for many days, and I wonder if anyone has heard plans for resolution of this problem? I would think that the nearest clinics with power could run twenty-four hour shifts with adequate staffing. I would like to know if such clinics would be looking for temporary staff to help in the crisis. Does anyone have any knowledge of this? Thanks, M

Glad to have you with us in the wonderful world of dialysis. The other poosts I read say that you either love it or hate it, and that is absolutely true! I love it AEB the past 17 years in dialysis. I worked for FMC for 11 of those years. It was OK, but big business politics got to me, and now I am in the acute unit at the hospital, I LOVE it. Good luck and please ask question, go with your gut and follow your scope of practice. Let us hear from you. Mary

Dialysis patients either comply with all the rules, or none of them, in my experience. I have had this kind of patient as well. It is ultimately the medical director's decision (in my case) for a maximum UFR. We have both SVS and profiling on our machines (Fresenius H and K). These are helpful, however, there is no way that we can follow a patient around and make them "obey" the rules "we" set for them. They still must live their lives, and, educate as we may, it doesn't matter to some patients. The younger ones have the "ten foot tall and bullet proof" syndrome, in other words, nothing can harm them. Sometimes, we as nurses, must simply allow them to live their lives and accept the consequences of their choices. It is different for our peds patients, but, even they have their own ideas. Back to your original question, we max out at 2000/hour. Profiling helps. Good luck finding an answer. Please talk with the CN or your medical director.

I am a dialysis nurse. I worked for Fresenius for 12 years as a PCT, they sent me to school and I got my BSN, worked for them for 1 year, then got out. These are my opinions: they were very supportive of my schooling, I enjoyed working on the floor with the patients and the techs, the money wasn't bad for a new nurse (17.00/hr in 1999), "too many chiefs, not enough indians", very controlling company, huge, world-wide, very tight with money, both in wages and in supplies, and if I were asked to work for them again, would I? No. It's a good place to learn basic processes and procedures, but they expect nurses to be responsible for (in my opinion) way too many patients. In the unit here, where I worked, there are 16 stations, 4 PCTs and 1 RN. I don't feel patients are safe in this environment, and I am protective of my license. Please feel free to email me with any questions. ([email protected]) Mary:)