The Closing shift literally just means the last shift in a dialysis clinic. If it’s a big clinic that consists of two dialysis nurses, one is assigned as the opener while the other one as the closer. The small clinics may also have a different arrangement where the opener dialysis nurse works alone in the morning, joined by the closer dialysis nurse noon time who will then close the shift until the last patient. As a float dialysis nurse, I get to experience both. I had my first closing shift in my big training facility last Monday then float to a different clinic yesterday, Wednesday for ano ..read more

Exactly 9 months ago, July 25th, I started working as a dialysis nurse in my training facility 5 minutes away from my apartment. Two months later, September 12th, I was transferred to a different facility 35 minutes away to fill in since the regular nurse resigned. Today, April 24th, 2023, I’m back to my training facility. To make the story short, I arrived in the US with a job offer in a dialysis clinic that is closed. So ever since I’d started working here, everything has been temporary. Neither the training facility is not my permanent clinic nor the second clinic I got transferred which i ..read more

I keep reassuring myself that it’s just another busy day but as it repeats day after day, I slowly realize that it’s all because I’m the only regular dialysis nurse left here in the clinic. 2 Weeks Earlier I call it regular to anyone with a fixed schedule in one clinic and unfortunately to where I am currently assigned at, the nurse for one year finally resigned. Her last words that stuck in my mind were, “I have to do all these before I leave.” She was pertaining to home medication reconciliations as it was just the 3rd week of the month. To be honest, I admire everything about her. How she ..read more

To the 7 years I’ve worked as a dialysis nurse in the Philippines–half a year training as a dialysis nurse, 6 years working in a dialysis hospital setting then six months in a dialysis center, I thought I’ve seen all until the day I almost called 911. PH vs US Dialysis Set up This may sound cliche but you never truly appreciate something until its gone. Documentation. It may have started superficially as how I selfishly wish to transport back to my home country sitting comfortably documenting on paper rather than standing for hours, transferring from one computer to another in a big dialysis ..read more

I think the first step to do to smoothly transition to US is to settle all important stuffs in the Philippines. These are the things that need continuity even if you reach the US soil. 1. Special Power of attorney or Authorization The top of the list is to make an SPA to solve almost all of your problems as soon as you arrive in US because most likely, you won’t be done settling all your documents before you leave. Doing so saves you time and a headache. PRC Nurse License PRC for example is a bit strict in this part. Only PRC holders are able to use authorization, if not, you need to make an ..read more

It seems like it was only yesterday that I was preparing for NCLEX and tearfully waiting for a good pop up . I was thirty that time! Three years passed, now thirty three, I’m finally here in US. 2020 I can clearly remember, year 2020 in the middle of pandemic when I got my petition approved, I was having a hard time complying all the documents for Ds260 submission. Almost all of the government offices that time were functioning in only a handful of staffs for less COVID exposure. The thought of it was like a pause of everything. The most dragging year I’ve experienced, everything seems so slo ..read more

You are now in your most important phase in your US Visa application, the Embassy Interview. The embassy Interview is somewhat just a formality. They just want to make sure that it is you who’s really be the one travelling there, all your documents are complete and that your employment in US is real. In other words, they want everything set and prepared once you arrive in US. But this doesn’t mean you don’t need to prepare for it. So, I made a booklet on steps and E3 practice Interview Questions Print page 1 in one bondpaper while page 2 and 3 in back to back. Staple in the middle and you got ..read more

Having the chance to enjoy US with my relatives before embarking to the real world of an OFW dialysis nurse is the best thing, one fun detail I want to share is getting to experience their theme dinner meals on particular days of the week. Today is Thai Thursday, also the no-cooking-for-dinner time since they either buy food out and consume at home or eat out. Well, supposedly but since their fave Thai restaurant is closed for summer, they have to look for an alternative. The chosen one is Indian restaurant, Cafe Masala, so I guess, it’s gonna be a kind of Asian Thursday for today’s dinner. C ..read more

Free download of NCLEX resources to Nurses who are about to take the exam, those who are still planning to and most especially those who failed and will take again. I passed the NCLEX three years ago. I took it twice and I am paying it forward. The current batch of nurses who are processing US application as of the moment is unbelievably fast and most have flown to USA in just a matter of 6 months. I am part of the earlier batch and the journey has not been that smooth and swift but I am happy that US opportunities for Filipino nurses is getting more and more improved. So, I am giving free do ..read more

Performing a heparin free dialysis procedure can be a daunting task especially if it’s your first time so how much more if the facility you are currently in is using a dialysis machine that might not be a heparin-free friendly. Fortunately, I’ve got a video for that to make it easier for you but first, here are things you need to know first about. What is Heparin Free Dialysis Procedure? From the name itself, this does not involve the use of heparin, instead, it will be all about intermittent saline flushes. Depending on the facility’s protocol usually, it’s 50cc/15min. Heparin Free Dialysis ..read more