Starting pay for Davita or Fresenius

SmilingBluEyes · Nov 2, 2016

Well that is variable, dependent on your location, mostly. I would want to know what state you are in. I would also caution, dialysis pay is often a BIG step down in hourly pay rate from acute care. But many consider the drop in pay worth it, to not have to work 12 hours shifts, (many clinics have 4- 10s for example), graveyard (in many clinics) and only every other Saturday. No working Sundays and Thanksgiving or Christmas is a big plus.

Others like that there is no on-call requirement for a position in an outpatient clinic (Acutes in the hospital is different, much like the hospital, working til the last patient is treated, having to stay or return if a patient requiring dialysis is newly admitted, being "low censused" if there are not enough patients needing treatment etc). Some like that they know their patients very well, as they are there 3 days a week. They can pretty much guess what each day will be like, not having to deal with admissions and discharges in the volume one sees in hospital nursing.

Outpatient work is much more predictable and even keel. You rarely (if ever) have to take off for low census, because you see the same patients, 3 days a week and they are not going anywhere unless they pass on or get a transplant.

Many love that the patients become like family, we know them so well. They love to "gift" us with treats on holidays or special occasions. I love that some bring in the most delicious food from all over the world d/t the diversity of our dialysis population. They know us well enough to care about small things in our lives, and we them. They really are a like a little family.

So--- those are some reasons why some nurses take a pay cut to work outpatient dialysis. Hours are predictable and you can schedule your life in the same predictable way.

In the end, I would ask in your state what dialysis pays, see if a pay cut (which is almost certain) is worth it and go from there.

Optimistic_RN_ · Nov 4, 2016

i recently interviewed for a RN position with davita in the Birmingham ,AL area and was offered 28 per hour with dialysis pct experience and promised a starting bonus of 5k and a salary increase after 3 months, but I have a friend with no dialysis experience at all ,actually a new grad and she negotiated 30 per hour with Fresenius.

dilld · Nov 5, 2016

Started in dialysis 2 years ago in Southern California @ 32$/hr

StarBrownRN · Nov 6, 2016

In my area, Dialysis Nursing's hourly rate is higher than most Hospitals--but there are no paid holidays (unless you actually work on the holiday), no shift differential and often you do not get 40hrs per week. If you are in a clinic that is short-staffed, you might get overtime--but you will work for it. Most folks I know started at $30-$35 hourly. So, it sounds good on the surface, but it ends up being a pay cut. Also, previous experience has little application; chronic dialysis is through the looking glass, so to speak.