Questions regarding in-center hemodialysis - your input needed

[okarol]

Your input here is appreciated. A school that trains hemodialysis technicians can benefit by learning from patients.

1.) Have you ever been worked on from a technician "trainee" and if so what was your experience?
2.) Were you aware of where or what training the trainee received?
3.) Do you think that schools owned by members of the clinic should have unrestricted practice on patients? Is this a potential conflict on the part of the school owner?
4.) If you had a say, what would the requirements be for a technician trainee to enter a actual dialysis facility?
5.) Do you think that machine and cannulation skills should be taught in a non-patient environment until mastered?

[Joe Paul]

1.) Yes. My fistula was so well done, I was usually the "stick dummy" for new techs. I tell you, in my case, the trainees were sometime better stickers then techs or even nurses that have been doing treatments for years.
2.) Yes, most of the time our center was on the job training.
3.) This is a 50 - 50 toss up to me. After all, if the techs were that bad, I am positive word of mouth would bring the school and center down. On the other hand, there ARE people who are in it for money only, where we the patient becomes just a number and prescription.
4.) I would somehow check to what motivation students in training have - money or care.
5.) No - I would think in center training is the best situation                                                                     

Your input here is appreciated. A school that trains hemodialysis technicians can benefit by learning from patients.

1.) Have you ever been worked on from a technician "trainee" and if so what was your experience?
2.) Were you aware of where or what training the trainee received?
3.) Do you think that schools owned by members of the clinic should have unrestricted practice on patients? Is this a potential conflict on the part of the school owner?
4.) If you had a say, what would the requirements be for a technician trainee to enter a actual dialysis facility?
5.) Do you think that machine and cannulation skills should be taught in a non-patient environment until mastered?

[brandi1leigh]

1) Yes. Only once. The trainee was very good. She shadowed techs for a week, then worked only with machines for a week (under supervision), then began removing needles (under supervision), and finally began sticking patients (under supervision).
2) I was not aware of pre-floor training; however, on the floor the supervising tech was very vocal with the trainee.
3) I don't think they should have unrestricted access; however, I think some access is necessary for them to learn the ropes and see what it's really like.
4) Before interacting with patients I think they need a basic knowledge of what dialysis is, symptoms of ESRD, detailed knowledge of the machines, detailed knowledge of emergency procedures, etc They should not walk on the floor without some basic knowledge.
5) Some. I definitely think that trainees should practice off the floor before they are put in an actual situation with patients. However, I don't think it's possible for trainees to master this without some practice in the real environment on actual patients.

[kitkatz]

Your input here is appreciated. A school that trains hemodialysis technicians can benefit by learning from patients.

1.) Have you ever been worked on from a technician "trainee" and if so what was your experience?
2.) Were you aware of where or what training the trainee received?
3.) Do you think that schools owned by members of the clinic should have unrestricted practice on patients? Is this a potential conflict on the part of the school owner?
4.) If you had a say, what would the requirements be for a technician trainee to enter a actual dialysis facility?
5.) Do you think that machine and cannulation skills should be taught in a non-patient environment until mastered?

I do not like tech trainees being used to stick me.  They used to send the newly trained techs to me because if they could get through me, thent hey would probably be okay at the clinic.  I tended to scare new people.
God no, they tell patients nothing about training and such. Keep us in the dark.
I think schools should not have unrestricted practice on patients, supervised practice, not unrestricted.
Two years of college and a six to ten week training on dialysis. Then supervised practice in clinic. 
Yes, machine practice and patient cannulation should be mastered before seeing the patient.

[Bajanne]

Not applicable to me.  We don't have techs.  We only have qualified nurses (most with at least a bachelor's degree, some even more).  In our system, techs are the ones who fix machines, or deal with water or other technical problems, but never with the patients.

[Bruno]

Same here...qualified nurses only...techs fix the machines.

[casper2636]

As an ex-nurse, I think the best way of learning is by watching and, with close supervision , slowly by doing. I have no problem having a "trainee" work on me because there is always a tech. or nurse close by. You ( as a trainee) have to learn some time and I've been stuck so many times and been infiltrated (no fun) so many times, it's really not a big deal to me anymore. We need more people in the Field to help us that are dependant on dialysis. I look at it as putting into the system to help us in the end.

[okarol]

 

[rsudock]

 They used to send the newly trained techs to me because if they could get through me, thent hey would probably be okay at the clinic.  I tended to scare new people.