Facilities and staffing companies seem to have seen a major surge recently in demand for dialysis nurses and techs. Amidst a general nursing shortage, this specialty in particular has become an increasingly important piece of the healthcare puzzle.
Is There a Shortage of Dialysis Nurses/Techs?
Absolutely. There are not enough dialysis nurses nor dialysis techs to go around these days. Demand for their skill set has already been high but is now increasingly very rapidly. Medical Solutions works to assist facilities in need of dialysis help, while also finding great dialysis nurse jobs and dialysis technician jobs for current travelers as well as staff nurses and techs who’ve decided to switch to travel nursing.
Why is There a Shortage of Dialysis Nurses?
A unique combination of factors has demand growing for travel dialysis RNs and techs. First, kidney disease is a vastly underrecognized public health crisis that affects more than 37 million Americans, which amounts to about 15% of the U.S. adult population. It’s also a bit of silent disease in many cases, as about 90% of folks with kidney disease are not even aware that they have it!
Second, many of the factors and conditions that can contribute to kidney disease and the need for dialysis treatments are on the rise. Dialysis treatments help clean a patient’s blood and remove toxins when their kidneys can’t do it for them anymore. Dialysis helps remove wastes, excess salt and water, and keeps blood pressure under control. This is needed for kidney disease, of course, and chronic kidney disease risk factors can include type 1 or 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity, age (hello, Baby Boomer population!), and other such conditions that are on the rise in the U.S. As those risk factors increase, the need for dialysis nurses and dialysis technicians increases alongside them.
Is Dialysis Nursing a Good Career?
Yes, dialysis nursing is a fantastic career path! If you’re a nursing student who’s considering this specialty and you feel connected to this work, it’s a wonderful choice for you. It’s also a wonderful specialty to move into. As already discussed, there’s a growing shortage of dialysis nurses and techs, which means anyone who chooses to work in this specialty will likely have an abundance of dialysis nurse jobs or dialysis technician jobs to choose from. That gives you more flexibility when you’re choosing between jobs and locations. Also, dialysis RN jobs and dialysis tech jobs in clinics or home health typically have more regular hours, which attracts many to this specialty.
There are also two main types of dialysis, and even though healthcare workers specialized in dialysis should be familiar with both, there’s an opportunity to prove yourself as a real expert in one of the two, which can be a helpful niche within the overall specialty. According to the National Kidney Foundation, there’s hemodialysis (both in-center hemodialysis and home hemodialysis) and peritoneal dialysis. Within peritoneal there are also two distinct treatments — continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) and automated peritoneal dialysis (APD). So, whether you’re looking for hemodialysis nurse jobs, hemodialysis technician jobs, peritoneal dialysis nurse jobs, or peritoneal technician jobs, Medical Solutions can help you find a great opportunity. And we’re adding more facilities and new jobs all the time!
Can Dialysis Nurses Travel?
Yes! Dialysis travel nursing is definitely an option for dialysis RNs and dialysis techs. And it’s actually a really incredible option for many healthcare professionals. Working as a dialysis traveler offers you flexibility, great compensation and benefits, and can help you avoid nurse burnout.
Many dialysis nurses working staff jobs ask: How much do travel dialysis nurses make? The answer is, generally a bit more than they’d make on a staff (or “perm”) job. Of course, compensation will always depend on a nurse’s education, experience, and location. But depending upon those factors and all other things being equal, you can generally expect to make higher compensation in travel dialysis nurse jobs and travel dialysis tech jobs. Plus, you get to have an incredible, life-changing, resume-building experience to boot!
You also don’t have to sacrifice great benefits in dialysis travel nursing — you can still take advantage of medical, dental, and vision benefits (all day one coverage with Medical Solutions); as well as a 401(k) with company contribution; paid, private, pet-friendly housing; a free EAP program; loyalty and referral bonuses; licensure and certification reimbursement; and many other unique benefits.
As already mentioned, dialysis nurses often get to have more “normal” hours than in many other specialties. While they are definitely many acute dialysis travel nurse jobs in hospital settings, you’ll also find options in clinics, home health, and other such settings.
Are you ready to explore dialysis travel nursing as an option for your next great career opportunity? Medical Solutions has a lot of demand for dialysis workers and we have tons of great jobs for you to choose from. Click here to explore travel dialysis nurse jobs and travel dialysis tech jobs!