"Why are you here?"

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I've had gotten this question a couple of times already everytime a patient asks me if I'm a nurse or a tech. Whenever they find out I'm an RN, they always ask me "Why are you here? You're a good nurse. You should work in a hospital!" To my surprise, most of them think being in a dialysis is a ****** job for an RN. I always tell my patients that dialysis is special to me. Helping people extend their lives daily and actually being a part of it makes me happy. I actually love what I'm doing. If only these patients see and appreciate our efforts, that would be really nice.... Until then, I'll continue to do what I love to do.

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Dialysis is the real deal, and my renal patients were often my most complicated. Kudos to you!

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I agree, dialysis is a great specialty. Of course it has plenty of ups and downs, great pts and a "few" less compliant ones (lol), and lots of opportunities to learn and grow as a nurse. Continue with passion and the appreciation will come.

If only these patients see and appreciate our efforts, that would be really nice.... Until then, I'll continue to do what I love to do.

Just to be a little snarky: This sounds like you plan on quitting as soon as the patients appreciate you. Have fun! :-)

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I agree, dialysis is a great specialty. Of course it has plenty of ups and downs, great pts and a "few" less compliant ones (lol), and lots of opportunities to learn and grow as a nurse. Continue with passion and the appreciation will come.

Just to be a little snarky: This sounds like you plan on quitting as soon as the patients appreciate you. Have fun! :-)

Lol, that's not what I meant. From where I'm from, patients are very unappreciative. They treat dialysis as a burden rather than an opportunity. I always remind them back in the days when dialysis treatments were only given to selected patients who were only considered useful to the environment. I tell them how blessed they are to have this opportunity nowadays; to be dialyzed 3x/week.. But unfortunately, they don't see it that way...

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Dialysis is the real deal, and my renal patients were often my most complicated. Kudos to you!

Thank you.

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Lol, that's not what I meant. From where I'm from, patients are very unappreciative. They treat dialysis as a burden rather than an opportunity. I always remind them back in the days when dialysis treatments were only given to selected patients who were only considered useful to the environment. I tell them how blessed they are to have this opportunity nowadays; to be dialyzed 3x/week.. But unfortunately, they don't see it that way...

Well, I see what you are saying, but it is a burden, too.

Dialysis patients have every single aspect of their lives controlled: what they eat, what meds they can take, what they drink, they are often diabetics, ports, fistulas, infections... It's a rough road, as you know. Those that do look at it as a chance for a better life maybe do so intermittently at best. I haven't met too many that can.

I'm not a dialysis nurse. Nor am I a dialysis patient.

In my experience though, I don't really remind patients what they should be appreciative of, and that their burden is not their burden.

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I tell them how blessed they are to have this opportunity nowadays; to be dialyzed 3x/week

Mmmm, I know where you're coming from but I would be reluctant to call dialysis a blessing to the pts. Imagine a spoiled, trust fund brat telling you that having a job must be such a blessing. Even though it is we don't want to hear it from them.

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Dangit, Farawyn, stop posting what I'm gonna post before I post it. Give the slow kids a chance. LOL!

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Well, I see what you are saying, but it is a burden, too.

Dialysis patients have every single aspect of their lives controlled: what they eat, what meds they can take, what they drink, they are often diabetics, ports, fistulas, infections... It's a rough road, as you know. Those that do look at it as a chance for a better life maybe do so intermittently at best. I haven't met too many that can.

I'm not a dialysis nurse. Nor am I a dialysis patient.

In my experience though, I don't really remind patients what they should be appreciative of, and that their burden is not their burden.

I see your point. I know that it is very stressful and difficult for them. However, I don't want to add any more negativity to their experience. Just need to be optimistic as much as possible until they get their kidney transplant 👌

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Mmmm, I know where you're coming from but I would be reluctant to call dialysis a blessing to the pts. Imagine a spoiled, trust fund brat telling you that having a job must be such a blessing. Even though it is we don't want to hear it from them.

If they need dialysis back in the 70's, it would've been different, a lot of them probably won't survive. Nowadays, every patients have a chance. Even those who don't have insurance and documents are not getting denied of the services. Every treatment is a chance for life, so if that's not something to be thankful of, I don't know what is. Patients can always refuse dialysis treatment too, right? The fact that they're coming 3x/week means that they're actually making a conscious effort every single day in extending their lives.

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Mmmm, I know where you're coming from but I would be reluctant to call dialysis a blessing to the pts. Imagine a spoiled, trust fund brat telling you that having a job must be such a blessing. Even though it is we don't want to hear it from them.

I can't really compare them to trust fund kids. Coz when trust fund kids won't work, they still have money. If dialysis patients won't dialyze, they're dead. I saw a poster once that says "DIALYSIS: damned if you do. Dead if you don't." Well, that's so true

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If they need dialysis back in the 70's, it would've been different, a lot of them probably won't survive. Nowadays, every patients have a chance. Even those who don't have insurance and documents are not getting denied of the services. Every treatment is a chance for life, so if that's not something to be thankful of, I don't know what is. Patients can always refuse dialysis treatment too, right? The fact that they're coming 3x/week means that they're actually making a conscious effort every single day in extending their lives.

Most people want to live. I don't know how conscious that is as opposed to self preservation.

As for patients in the 70s, most patients don't care, because they cannot see beyond their own pain/suffering.

If a nurse told me how lucky I was to be on dialysis I may not take that too well.

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