Renal care/dialysis jobs - what are they like?

Midwest4me · Dec 5, 2005

It's fascinating nursing! It is fast-paced, technical, artsy ( as you at times have to be creative with needle positioning), demanding, very rewarding. It has been a couple of years since I left the dialysis field.(I worked in it for almost 5 years and the pace just got to be too much for me; I needed a "breather".) Are you an RN or LPN? I worked as an LPN in dialysis and in many states there are definite differences in what an LPN can and cannot do. I would suggest that you call some dialysis centers and ask if you might observe from a distance a daily routine, ask some questions of staff and management, nurses. Pts. dialyze usually 3 days a week, sometimes 4; chances are you would work Mon-WEd-Fri or Tues-Thurs-Sat, Each work- day is usually 12-13 hours; thus it's not a 40-hr/week job---at least in my experience.

Renal Care Group was one of the companies I worked for and it's a great one in my opinion--(much better than Gambro Healthcare in my opinion)wonderful benefits and great salary. RNs of course can make much more than the LPNs.

kdhnursern · Dec 5, 2005

I currently work for Renal Care Group (which was taken over by Fresenius) and I love my job. I work in a smaller unit where I know all the patients and usually it's an RN in charge with 2 PCTs working under them. It's all about teamwork. If you all work together and just "get things done", it's a real good job. At times it gets hectic but that keeps the juices going. The benefits are great. You get to use your nursing skills while still having time to see the personal side of the patients. If you can't stand losing patients, don't try dialysis. We've lost 8 so far this year and that's about average for us.

We have 8 chairs with two shifts 6 days a week. Shift turnaround is the hectic time...trying to take people off tx while getting the next shift on. That's where the teamwork really is needed. It takes everyone doing their share without thinking "this is a tech job" or "I only like putting people on[taking people off] their tx's" and helping each other get the job done.

Altogether, it's a very rewarding job that I am very satisfied with and plan to stay with for quite some time. :thankya:

Susan LeBlanc · Jan 29, 2006

I love dialysis-- the only problem is there are no staffing regulations like there are if you work in the hospital. You are pretty much at the mercy of your employer and whatever financial goal they feel like meeting that week.

An 8 chair clinic with an RN and 2 techs would be ideal, but at our clinic, it is usually an RN and 2 techs for 12 patients. That's pushing it .

Mastersby2011 · Jan 31, 2006

Hi, don't know what renal care group is like but I do work for Fresenius and they are ok. I agree with one of the other posting, most of the time it tends to be about profit. I have worked in dialysis 15 years and love it. It is a great field. I have found over the years though it takes about a year to really understand why you do what you do in dialysis (labs, machine settings, etc) and you will either love it or hate it. Try it out, if you decide you don't like it then find something else. Everyone has at least one specialty they fall in love with, sometimes it just takes awhile. Good luck.:)

toney · Feb 8, 2006

Hi I Been Working In A Dialysis Center. For About 4 Months It's A Lot To Learn, And I Am Learning But I Still Feel Lost With Some Knowledge And Skills Regarding Dialysis , If There Is Any Experience Diaylsis Nurses Or Techs Willing To Share Some Insight About Working In A Dialysis Center

tinamacRN · Feb 23, 2006

I have been an RN for 23 years. The last 6 years have been in dialysis. It is different from any other type of nursing that I have done. It has been my experience (and strictly my opinion), that people either really like dialysis or really don't like it. There isn't much middle ground. It has been my experience, that nurses have much more input into patient care in dialysis than in other settings. Monitoring labs, medication dosing adjustments, etc... It is a much smaller treatment setting than hospital nursing and you get to know the patients very well. Most patients dialyze 3 days a week, 4 hours or more, that's alot of time spent with these people every week. The patients come to depend on the staff more so than in other settings. I find it to be interesting, rewarding, and challenging.