Will dialysis limit my future?

Here.I.Stand, BSN, RN · Mar 23, 2016

I work with someone who came from acute dialysis.

TNT_RN09, BSN, RN · Mar 23, 2016

Do your research on Davita

blondy2061h, MSN, RN · Mar 24, 2016

I thought this question was going to be about whether being on dialysis might hurt your career, which I could see being an obstacle.

nutella, MSN, RN · Mar 24, 2016

I am currently a nurse working on a busy telemetry unit and have done this for a year. I am moving states and keep getting declined from positions, some for experience and the rest I have no idea why. I have an offer with Davita dialysis. My career goals have always been to get into an ICU setting. If I do dialysis will this limit me from getting back into acute care later on? I thought if I like dialysis I could always try to transition into acute dialysis as well and maybe eventually get into an ICU. Does anyone know from experience if this is possible? I don't want to accept a position that would prevent me from my dreams as a nurse. Thanks in advance for any advice!

Chronic dialysis is not really a good outlook for ICU. Acute dialysis on the other hand, especially if also trained in CRRT, apharesis etc., can increase your chances of landing a good ICU job. Reason being that when you work in acute dialysis you also dialyze in critical care areas and if you do a good job and are likeable you may get some connections. Also, most people assume that if you are doing a great job with acute dialysis and are not a nervous nelly , you will be a fit for high tech nursing(true or not does not matter - it is perception). The crux is that many acute dialysis positions ask for ICU experience ....

I think that a jump from chronic dialysis to ICU is unlikely in the overall competitive job market. But I know acute dialysis nurses who went into critical care - most of them got their job because they were already known to the staff from their work, well liked, and got asked to apply or took a chance and applied.

Personally, I really loved acute dialysis - the actual work. Although it can be a stretch to go into acute dialysis with no dialysis experience and no ICU experience you can apply specifically for acutes and see what happens.

meaganwitherell · Mar 25, 2016

My thoughts were if I did chronic, got experience would I be able to get into acutes? I have applied for everything where I am moving and its as if my experience means nothing so it is really my only option at this point. I would not expect to go from chronic dialysis to ICU. But my thought process was maybe chronic to acute then maybe into an ICU setting.

nutella, MSN, RN · Mar 25, 2016

My thoughts were if I did chronic, got experience would I be able to get into acutes? I have applied for everything where I am moving and its as if my experience means nothing so it is really my only option at this point. I would not expect to go from chronic dialysis to ICU. But my thought process was maybe chronic to acute then maybe into an ICU setting.

There is no guarantee that you would get a job in acutes.

It depends on how you are doing with dialysis in general and how the job market is. There are much less jobs in acutes. Some programs offer hybrid and cross train nurses in acutes - but this only works for not too acute hospitals where the patients are not super sick so to speak.

It really depends also on how you present during the interview and so on.

So the answer is a definite "perhaps or perhaps not" as there are not many positions in acutes and the skill set needs to be specific.