I am new to dialysis, actually my second week of floor orientation. I am taking 2-3 patients right now and am doing fine except for at change over. I feel very stressed and frazzled with one patient holding her site, another ready to come off, and another patient waiting impatiently to get in the first chair that isn't even clean yet! I would like to know what I could do to improve. What do other facilities do to decrease the chaos at change over? Thanks, Julie in Texas

Julie,

Believe it or not, things will get better pretty quickly as you become more comfortable and proficient with the process.
Here are a couple of suggestions that may help....

1. If your patients run different lengths of time, try to plan what order you put them on the machine. If you put a longer run time on the machine first, they could run closer to the take off time than a shrter running patient.

2. Take your time during put-on so that you have a little more time between patients when it comes time for changeover.

Good luck and welcome to the wonderful world of dialysis!

Chuck

quote:

Originally posted by txlucky1:
I am new to dialysis, actually my second week of floor orientation. I am taking 2-3 patients right now and am doing fine except for at change over. I feel very stressed and frazzled with one patient holding her site, another ready to come off, and another patient waiting impatiently to get in the first chair that isn't even clean yet! I would like to know what I could do to improve. What do other facilities do to decrease the chaos at change over? Thanks, Julie in Texas

julie hang in there it does get better, your charge nurse should not make it where your pt are so close toghether, they should revise your pt scedules so that your pt arnt so close together, or get help from your coworkers be a team,,,, good luck

If you have only been there two weeks you should still be in orientation,not taking a three patient assignment. It 's to bad your first experience with dialysis is so frustrating and "unsafe". It does get better and can be a great field to work in. Do what you can do safely and hang in there.

quote:

Originally posted by txlucky1:
I am new to dialysis, actually my second week of floor orientation. I am taking 2-3 patients right now and am doing fine except for at change over. I feel very stressed and frazzled with one patient holding her site, another ready to come off, and another patient waiting impatiently to get in the first chair that isn't even clean yet! I would like to know what I could do to improve. What do other facilities do to decrease the chaos at change over? Thanks, Julie in Texas