Switching from dialysis nurse to any other department

[sausage gut]

First off, I would like to say hello. I tried using the search function on this site as well as google but came up short. My girlfriend recently graduated as an RN, and as you all know, its hard trying to find a job as a new grad. Her only job offer was a job as a dialysis nurse. I've been helping her do the research about the location and the company but her main concern is getting stuck as a dialysis nurse. Has anyone here had experience with this? Thank!

[rnbob]

She is right, dialysis is a specialty-a highly specialized specialty in my estimation.

It is a field more properly reserved for someone with critical care experience, in fact it used to be a requirement for employment.

She is likely already aware that a position in med-surge is an excellent launching point for a career in nursing as it provides a solid background in general medicine.

Of course the reality of having to work for a living is of primary importance in this market.

Be aware too that many absolutely hate dialysis, it is a field full of difficult personalities-on both sides of the counter. It is extremely demanding, you have a huge responsibility for the safety of your patients, the performance of techs working under your license, and volumes of duties.

Keep in mind this is the OPINION of one RN.and therefore not worth much.

I would highly recommend a share day on the unit, so she has some concept of what she's getting into.

Of this I think most would agree- It will be an extremely challenging undertaking, and consume all her energy for the first 3-6 months as she acclimates to the field.

[MJB2010]

She has a very valid concern. Once in dialysis, it would behard to transition into anything else. I hear you either love or hate dialysis and I am new to the specialty but I can see how some could hate it. There is a lot you can do within the specialty, would she be starting in acute or chronic? She could later train for PD, home hemo, chronic, acute etc etc IF she likes dialysis. I am grateful for my med surg background since I think I will be losing these skills in the chronic dialysis setting. It would be hard to start in dialysis and transition to hosptial I think.

[aussiemom]

My unit offers opportunities to care for chronic as well as acute patients. Caring for the acute patients from the floors, as well as those in the ICU, gives me exposure to med-surg as well as critical care environments. She may be able to float to other floors as well to develop her skills. This is something I have been doing lately, and I think it's been a positive experience since I am a fairly new nurse...and started in dialysis. Our chronic patients are a very ill group of people and are frequently in the hospital. Getting a perspective from another department's point of view may be helpful for her career. Also, consider this: whenever you take a new job as a nurse, that department will orient you and make sure you know what you need to know. I don't think she will be boxed in or limited by her experience as a dialysis nurse. She will gain knowledge of many different disease processes as well as their end results. Basically, I would encourage her to get the biggest bang for her buck and go with a unit that has diverse opportunities- chronic and acute populations.

[jdethman]

Is the job in acute or chronic? If chronic, yes it can be tough to move to a different specialty. If it is an acute team you can move after some time. A word of caution if it's an acute team they are very understaffed if they are taking new grads so it's going to be tough. I started in chronic dialysis moved to acute's and feel very lucky that I fell into dialysis.

[sausage gut]

oops, super late response. She is going to be an acute dialysis nurse.

[nursingisok]

I did chronic and acutes for four years ,I did dialysis straight out of school. I find it hard to switch specialties but I'm also burned out in general.If she is interested then go for it.

[SoulSpirit_Rn]

Yes, its hard for new grads. No one will hire without experience is what we find. But dialysis hired me as a new grad. Its a good lift off. But still, after 6 months, I apply for hospital positions and no one has picked me up. Most nurses on my dialysis unit has been there for years and only in this specialty. Other nurses have been in the acute care and numerous specialities/experience and dialysis is there second to last step from retirement. Truthfully, dialysis is not hard once you learn the machine. The medications are all the same and its only about 10; never changing except dose. As one nurse told me, "anyone can do it as long as their eyes are open". My point is: dialysis often hire new grads, its a form of med-surg and a descent lift off to gain some kind of experience. Often I feel my experience is in vain because, with no experience in the hospital you'll still need a extensive preceptorship. None the less dialysis does not do any procedures, the nurse mainly push the same meds and put in orders and monitor labs. For me as a new grad, its just a "gig", unless you love it and want to stay forever, you will lose skills. Good luck to your girlfriend!

[ldyjstce]

Yes, its hard for new grads. No one will hire without experience is what we find. But dialysis hired me as a new grad. Its a good lift off. But still, after 6 months, I apply for hospital positions and no one has picked me up. Most nurses on my dialysis unit has been there for years and only in this specialty. Other nurses have been in the acute care and numerous specialities/experience and dialysis is there second to last step from retirement. Truthfully, dialysis is not hard once you learn the machine. The medications are all the same and its only about 10; never changing except dose. As one nurse told me, "anyone can do it as long as their eyes are open". My point is: dialysis often hire new grads, its a form of med-surg and a descent lift off to gain some kind of experience. Often I feel my experience is in vain because, with no experience in the hospital you'll still need a extensive preceptorship. None the less dialysis does not do any procedures, the nurse mainly push the same meds and put in orders and monitor labs. For me as a new grad, its just a "gig", unless you love it and want to stay forever, you will lose skills. Good luck to your girlfriend!

DITTO! I am 8 months in and am wanting something else.

[NurseRies, BSN, RN]

Yes its hard for new grads. No one will hire without experience is what we find. But dialysis hired me as a new grad. Its a good lift off. But still, after 6 months, I apply for hospital positions and no one has picked me up. Most nurses on my dialysis unit has been there for years and only in this specialty. Other nurses have been in the acute care and numerous specialities/experience and dialysis is there second to last step from retirement. Truthfully, dialysis is not hard once you learn the machine. The medications are all the same and its only about 10; never changing except dose. As one nurse told me, "anyone can do it as long as their eyes are open". My point is: dialysis often hire new grads, its a form of med-surg and a descent lift off to gain some kind of experience. Often I feel my experience is in vain because, with no experience in the hospital you'll still need a extensive preceptorship. None the less dialysis does not do any procedures, the nurse mainly push the same meds and put in orders and monitor labs. For me as a new grad, its just a "gig", unless you love it and want to stay forever, you will lose skills. Good luck to your girlfriend![/quote']

I agree in some ways but disagree in others. I did chronics for 2 years full time, and in my first 6 months of chronic, I got a prn job with acutes. I have now been doing acute dialysis traveling. I think you lose some skills for sure, but on a daily basis in the acute dialysis room, I am giving blood transfusions, narcotics, antibiotics, dressing changes, blood cultures, calling cardiologists, coordinating with pacu and surgery, and aiding in discharge planning, among many other random tasks.. Patients are throwing up, having bowel movements, moaning in pain, and bottoming out blood pressure. And this is in the treatment room. Some days I float to ICU, usually cardiac ICU, where you get to watch the nurses adjust the levophed, deal with vented and resp failure patients, and help take patients out of metabolic acidosis. So many acute renal failure patients are septic so I see that a lot too. I have done bedside treatments on units such as oncology, psych, Tele, ortho, and trauma ICU. I'm not saying I could walk in and do those jobs, but you get exposure to different environments and can see what you may have to encounter.

I'm reading this forum because I am researching how easy it would be to eventually transition into something like maybe a medsurg ICU, or even a pacu. Would I need tons of experience in med surg first? Would I have to be really lucky to get in? I don't EVeR want to be a med surg or Tele floor nurse. I see what they go through and I really don't want to do it. If this experience is required, I would much rather just stay in dialysis. My friend just got a job in the cardiac ICU at John Hopkins as a new grad, so I don't think this is impossible?

Any experiences with transitions from HD nurses?

[Chisca, RN]

I'm reading this forum because I am researching how easy it would be to eventually transition into something like maybe a medsurg ICU, or even a pacu. Would I need tons of experience in med surg first? Would I have to be really lucky to get in? I don't EVeR want to be a med surg or Tele floor nurse. I see what they go through and I really don't want to do it. If this experience is required, I would much rather just stay in dialysis. My friend just got a job in the cardiac ICU at John Hopkins as a new grad, so I don't think this is impossible?

Any experiences with transitions from HD nurses?

The AACN considers acute dialysis experience as acceptable to sit for the CCRN certification. The transition form acute dialysis to a medical ICU would be no more difficult than going from Neuro ICU to CVICU. Any astute nurse manager who needed an ICU nurse would hire someone with acute dialysis experience.

[Sagira]

I have been doing acute dialysis for 10 years and I am so tired of ling hours and oncall duties. I am at the point of being depressed. I drag myself in the morning knowing that I will probably be stuck working at the facility for 16 plus hours. I wish I can just quit but I need to work. I think I am just tired of nursing period. What else can I do?