Long story short, just grad from school to be a PCT at a dialysis center, they said I'm too slow. My original goal was to become a nurse. Now that is in question due to my lack of speed.
So here is my question?
Is nursing as faced paced as dialysis? I have a 6:1 pct to patient ratio. Turnover is a complete nightmare and I cant keep up. Dialysis PCT is a glorified assembly worker, and Im gone for 12-14 hrs a day. No life whatsoever
Is general nursing the same way, or different. I can understand running call light to call light. I can do that. What I can't do is McNursing.
I just need a career that is slow to moderate pace.
Depends where you work. PCTs will always be overworked because they take such good care of patients in hospitals and do a lot of the laborious work. I can't imagine not having a PCT or CNA to help. To be frank, it sounds like the medical field just isn't for you if you don't want to be working fast.
My first reaction was "Who says you really are slow?" Are you getting your work done and leaving work on time? That means you aren't slow. Like someone else pointed out, nursing and PCT are two different jobs. There are many areas of nursing to work in that aren't super fast paced. Speed can be learned. Brains cannot.
DO NOT base your decision on becoming a nurse because of a bad job. Nursing is a wide field where you can pick and choose from different specialties and work environment. Do some research on the matter and follow your heart.
Yes, I think nursing is fast-paced. However, I think dialysis PCT is extraordinarily fast-paced. From what I've heard, dialysis centers are non-stop client turnover. So maybe dialysis just isn't for you. There are a lot of different fields you can get into within nursing, some of which may be fast-paced, but not quite as bad as what you're experiencing. Plus, there's always the night shift--which I hear is a little more laid back (I'm day shift, so no experience with that).
Don't give up just because you don't like the environment you're working in now.
I meditated on what everyone wrote, and you guys are correct. PCT and Nursing it not the same.
Hegster, you are definitely correct. The turnover ratio of 1 tech to six patients is ridiculous. If I could rate the speed of all medical careers on a scale from 1-10, I would rate dialysis as a 20.
At first I wanted to rollover and give up. But after taking some time off I realized this is not the path for me. Medical is still my passion, but not this form of medical.
Be aware that most medical jobs are going to be fast paced. Have you ever thought about working as a medical assistant at a clinic? That might be a slower pace that would still have you in the field. Hospital jobs are generally very fast paced, RN or otherwise. Respiratory therapy, from what I've seen, can be a bit slower paced as well.
Kuriin, BSN, RN
967 Posts
Depends where you work. PCTs will always be overworked because they take such good care of patients in hospitals and do a lot of the laborious work. I can't imagine not having a PCT or CNA to help. To be frank, it sounds like the medical field just isn't for you if you don't want to be working fast.