I left Fresenius a year and a half ago after working there for two years doing first acutes and then chronic. I got to be a pretty good dialysis nurse, but it has been a year and a half so I have not retained everything that I learned and could not run a treatment today or even remember how to set up a machine. I have a feeling, though, that this is one of those situations where it comes back and you remember more than you think you did, but still...
If I return to Fresenius after a year and a half away, will they give me a good, comprehensive orientation or expect me to jump right back into it? Same question for going to Davita after leaving Fresenius a year and a half ago. I don't expect the months long orientation that they gave me when I was brand new to dialysis, obviously, but I also don't want them to expect that I can jump right back into the saddle after being away for this long. I just left a horrible situation that was very stressful in which I accepted a position at a poorly run acute rehab facility and quit during orientation for many, many reasons. I am still somewhat shaken up about this, so I don't want to go from that horrible experience to hiring on with Fresenius or Davita only to have them say that I get a week or two of orientation because I was a dialysis nurse in the past.
I've been offered a position in a Davita chronic unit about half an hour from where I live. I job shadowed there a few days ago and loved it!
I realize this is not reflective of either company because it probably depends mostly on who runs each individual clinic, but I cannot get over how much neater, brighter, and more organized it is than the chronic unit I worked in a couple of years ago for another company. I am actually excited to start this job, and after 26 years as a nurse, not much excites me about it anymore, lol.
It's also a $7/hour raise from what I was making at my most recent job doing telephone triage from home, and three 12 hour shifts/week with four days off in a row every other weekend.
I am looking forward to starting at this Davita clinic next week, it is so much nicer than the clinic I worked at before, has long term nurses who seem to enjoy working there, and has a very nice manager who seems to have her ducks in a row.
Which company depends on the area you are in. In our area Fresenius has the better reputation. Also for us, orientation is regulated by the state. I now work for American Renal, best move ever!
westieluv
948 Posts
I've been offered a position in a Davita chronic unit about half an hour from where I live. I job shadowed there a few days ago and loved it!
I realize this is not reflective of either company because it probably depends mostly on who runs each individual clinic, but I cannot get over how much neater, brighter, and more organized it is than the chronic unit I worked in a couple of years ago for another company. I am actually excited to start this job, and after 26 years as a nurse, not much excites me about it anymore, lol.
It's also a $7/hour raise from what I was making at my most recent job doing telephone triage from home, and three 12 hour shifts/week with four days off in a row every other weekend.
So happy!