Dialysis Research Paper

I’ve worked in renal dialysis at the Glens Falls Hospital for the past eight years. Working at the renal center is a very different type of nursing. You may say, “What is different about this type of nursing?” Well let me tell you, what is different about this type of nursing is that these patients require dialysis three times a week for the rest of their lives. In this type of nursing, it’s not like the patient who comes into the hospital needing surgery or possibly has an infection or pneumonia. These patients are usually in and out of the hospital in a week or two. Your contact with these patients is brief. In dialysis you take care of patients for years or until they die. It’s a very difficult situation because you get this great experience
I also continue to educate myself in the transplant role of coordinator so I can best help my patients. This past April I went to the ANNA conference in San Diego, CA—it was a national convention. Several of the topics that I had signed up for dealt with transplant. I am also the ANNA health policy representative for Chapter #120- Tri State area. I am pushing for the Medicaid bill to assist patients with transplant medicine post transplant. This bill would be a tremendous assistance for patients since transplant medicine can cost upwards of $3,000 per month. For the dialysis patient who doesn’t have insurance, this could hinder them receiving a transplant. They can not be on the transplant list without having insurance for medications. In the bigger picture, the cost of doing dialysis three times per week would be much more expensive than paying for a patient’s medicine long term. I do know that this country is in a
Every day more and more patients are starting on dialysis. Some of these patients are in their eighties and nineties and are not medically suitable. I do believe there should be criteria in place to screen patients for dialysis before they start. I do believe not everyone should be offered dialysis as an option. I believe the same holds true for transplant as well. I’m glad I have been able to take over this rewarding role at the dialysis center. I continue to educate patients, assist with needed testing prior to being considered for the transplant list and communicate with transplant coordinators at the other hospitals. I feel my role has had a positive impact for me as well as the renal center and the patients I work with. I feel good in knowing that for some patients they can start dialysis and life doesn’t end at the renal center. These patients are able to move on with their lives and continue to have a good quality of life. Just a couple months ago when I was doing the community screening for the pre-dialysis program I met a young woman and her husband. The