I'm new to dialysis nursing

[stelstar]

I'll be working for a chronic care dialysis center. Anyone have anything to say about how they like their job or give me any feedback? This will be my first time working with dialysis patients and I am a little nervous.

[jsjs]

hello,
I started indialysis 13 years ago. When I started I was kind'a scared bec I'm dealing with blood all the time. Any way,I'm a tech since then and working to be rn. This is my advise to you be nice to your techs Try to be patient with them specially when they are new. About your job it easy & routine.Compare to the Hospital with 4-8 pts q shift.The longer your working there the more it gets easier.Sometimes when your pt die you get sad bec you get to know them well.
jsjs

[wood662]

I know that this reply is a little late, but I just recently joined the forum. Dialysis nursing is the BEST! Certainly not to take away from other nursing positions, but dialysis is great! We have the oppurtunity for educating our patients so they can becomed empowered and make healthy decisions for themselves. I started out in a chronic dialysis unit and loved it. The patients are sometimes worried about new nurses. They are not judging you for your skills, but they become very attached to "their" nurses and tech's. Try not to take offense to this. The nice thing about chronic unit's is that you develop a relationship with the patients and become part of their family. You need to give yourself at least a year to become comfortable in your setting. That's fine. I have been a dialysis nurse for 9 years and will love it the rest of my career! Best of luck and have a great time!!!

[Dialysis Diva]

I am also new to this forum but not to dialysis (12 yrs). I started in a chronic unit with 3:1 ratio, six pt pod with 1 nurse & 1 tech. It was terrifying and confusing. My training was on the job with very little classroom - mostly it was the experienced techs who trained me. They were not compensated and I slowed them down some but was willing to do whatever I could to ease their burden. Don't be afraid to help your techs because you are a team. They can make or break you. Nurses have a heavy workload for sure but my hat is off to the tech because they have the brunt of the workload.

It took me about a year before I felt technically comfortable as a dialysis nurse, but longer than that before I really put everything together. Understanding the lab values is very important. Pt's are not always forthcoming but labs don't lie. Work closely and listen to the dietician so you can correlate the labs with pt diets. It helps to ask the dietician for education tips to pass on to the patients. Dialysis is the only type of nursing I'll ever do - I love it. Good luck!

[trixie007]

Hi all, I'm new to this forum AND to dialysis nursing, being in my 6th week of orientation at an area hospital. I had been a nurse in Rehab Med for two years prior and have to say, I MUCH prefer dialysis! As hectic and stressful as it can be at times (we're not properly staffed yet, but with 5 new nurses having arrived or arriving from mid January to May, we will be sitting pretty very soon), it is still so much more enjoyable and interesting to me than what I had been doing. I think I have found my niche, and am looking forward to learning all I can about renal failure and dialysis as the months and years go by. We have RNs, LPNs and one hospital aide per shift, but no "techs" as I've heard mentioned here. We use disposable systems and Fresenius machines (H and K), and the aides mix the bicarb, strip and clean the machines, help weigh patients, do some incontinent care, etc, so they're a great help when they're here and sorely missed when they're not! I love this specialty...and am once again happy to be a nurse. :houra: