What do you think about dialysis nurses?

[NurseRies]

I am a dialysis nurse that does acute inpatient treatments in hospitals and ICUs. I also used to work in the chronic outpatient clinic.

Other nurses- what do you love/hate about the dialysis nurses that you run into? What could we change to be better and more accommodating? I want to know what other nurses really think about us dialysis nurses! Don't be shy!

[NurseRies, BSN, RN]

I don't think of dialysis nurses. Ever.

Lol, thanks for sharing.

[That Guy, BSN, RN, EMT-B]

Be nice when we call in the early morning, trust me I hate doing it. Especially for Peritoneal dialysis. I know how to not screw up the process but if something goes wrong, I need help.

[NotMyProblem MSN, ASN, BSN, MSN, LPN, RN]

I absolutely LOVE being floated to the nephrology floor simply because of the dialysis nurses! I once worked at a hospital that required us to do peritoneal dialysis. I became very proficient at it...I had no choice. But to perform frequent exchanges on one patient when I had a caseload of seven, was a ******* nightmare!!!!! Not to mention the old adage of 'what you don't use, you lose' holding true to its name. I would do so many exchanges and then BAM, no PD patient for nine months to a year. Then it's like learning a task all over again. What a headache! Once I got my current job, I was AMAZED that the dialysis nurses here perform all dialysis treatments. Love 'em!!!!

[all4neuro]

When I think of our dialysis RN's, I think about the positive changes they've made.

We see them more. They review charts in the early morning with night shift. They've taken over doing all of the PD.

Floating to their unit has become a nice learning opportunity instead of an "anyone, anyone, ANYONE?" experience.

Don't know the cause, but I love the effect.

[NotMyProblem MSN, ASN, BSN, MSN, LPN, RN]

Our dialysis nurses are RNs and LPNs and are ALL wonderful! We order early meal trays for out dialysis patients and we complete a pre-dialysis SBAR and wait for the dialysis nurse to call us when they are ready for report and they request transport services when they are ready for the patient. I love it! I have to say that dialysis at my hospital is the smoothest transition of all the units I've encountered as a float nurse. It almost makes me want to work days. ALMOST!

[all4neuro]

I forgot, another change is we have an on-call/float dialysis RN, they cover needs that arise anywhere in the hospital. He/she checks on renal pt's, and assists the diabetic nurse educator in between calls.

[Chisca, RN]

Post prandial hypotension. I didn't feed your patient because I didn't want them to crash. You're welcome.

Eating Can Cause Low Blood Pressure - Harvard Health Publications

[dudette10, MSN, RN]

I don't think of dialysis nurses. Ever.

Me too. It's not a bad thing, either. I check up on the patient once or twice during dialysis, ask if the patient and nurse need anything, and that's it!

[ethomas6809]

Being a dialysis nurse myself I am getting a kick out of the responses from everyone. I don't do acutes but I work in a dialysis clinic. Im sure the nurses don't change the inc patients because of the chance of the access becoming infiltrated. Dialysis access are different from peripherals. You cant just stick in another vein. If it's a bad infiltration their treatment is over. Many companies only allow their nurses to do dialysis, so no we cant give your meds. If the nurses communicated with each other instead of looking at the other as enemy #1 it would make everyones day a lil better.

[all4neuro]

Being a dialysis nurse myself I am getting a kick out of the responses from everyone. I don't do acutes but I work in a dialysis clinic. Im sure the nurses don't change the inc patients because of the chance of the access becoming infiltrated. Dialysis access are different from peripherals. You cant just stick in another vein. If it's a bad infiltration their treatment is over. Many companies only allow their nurses to do dialysis, so no we cant give your meds. If the nurses communicated with each other instead of looking at the other as enemy #1 it would make everyones day a lil better.

Our yearly in service from the dialysis/renal/diabetic team helps so much to avoid conflicts, and misunderstandings.

Our dialysis RN's do give transfusions, meds, change patients, etc. A dialysis patient is off the unit for 4 hours, that is a HUGE amount of time. They are their primary RN for the time, until the pt is transferred back to the unit. They get report, and give it.

I learned that a RN that takes over for a pt procedure, test, is then the responsible RN for the whole pt. So in different facilities what is the difference?

Our response team is called to transport pt's that are to travel on tele, or go to CT, MRI, etc. when there is a change in condition requiring RN transport.

They take report from the unit RN, and are then responsible until they give report back to the unit RN.

During that time frame. They do all 5 steps of the nursing process. They will call us when needed to update us, or if pt is going to be transferred to a critical care unit.

I do not understand the difference of a response RN taking over, vs. a dialysis RN in the other facilities I am not familiar with.

So much can happen in 4 hours. As a floor RN I would not be comfortable not seeing a pt for hours.

Who does their assessment on the q 4 hours? Checks/flushes their NG or peg tube? Documents IV and PCA site/lines/pumps?

[ThePrincessBride, MSN, RN, NP]

Their schedules are awful. I have been floated to dialysis a couple of times and one of the dialysis nurses told me that they often have to stay MANY hours over after their shift is done and are sometimes on call. I would hate to routinely have to work five or more hours over my shift like that.

Props to dialysis nurses.

[ethomas6809]

I am referring to dialysis treatments that are performed in the patients room. With that situation I am the nurse but the patients floor nurse is responsible for care of their patient. I don't know the dynamics when the patients leave their room for treatment. Different hospitals different policies.