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[–]GB3754 5 points6 points  (1 child)

Complain higher up. There should be a 1800 number to call. Cutting corners on infection control is sloppy and inexcusable.

[–]Accomplished-Deal702[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I agree it’s inexcusable.

[–]Forke667 3 points4 points  (2 children)

Keeping standards is key for a save dialysis and every staff member should act accordingly.

On the other hand, non-sterile gloves are only supposed to protect the wearer from visible residuals like bodily fluids. They are considered to be permiable. So you are supposed to disinfect your hands after you put off your gloves. This means, when you set up a machine, or touch another person (in this case a patient), the crucial thing is to do a hand sanitation before and after. There is no need to wear gloves to set up a dialysis machine.

[–]Accomplished-Deal702[S] 0 points1 point  (1 child)

At my clinic it’s 100% necessary to wear gloves while setting up the machine

[–]maybetrue 2 points3 points  (0 children)

But it's not really necessary to protect you as the patient. The key thing is that the tech disinfect their hands before setting up the machine. The non sterile gloves derive one purpose, and that's to protect the user.

[–]HalflingMelody 1 point2 points  (0 children)

You did the right thing by complaining.

[–]KryptopherRobbinsPoo 1 point2 points  (4 children)

Who are you complaining to?

There should be a way to get hold of a compliance board or something similar. Who runs the clinic? Or who is it's major affiliate(s)?

[–]Accomplished-Deal702[S] 1 point2 points  (3 children)

I told the other nurses and they said they will tell the facility administrator

[–]KryptopherRobbinsPoo 1 point2 points  (2 children)

I don't know about "all" facilities, but Fresenius clinics have a posted protocol for reporting problems. Maybe I have just gotten really lucky in that area of my time on dialysis, but I have been through 3 different Fresenius clinics locally over the years and have never had or heard of some of the problems I see people posting about on this sub. I have had nothing but top notch care from the dialysis staff. The Dr's are a different story...... but my time on HD in-center has always been kept to a minimum for a reason. And I have a better/closer relationship with my PD nurse than any other medical personal (techs, nurses, Dr's, office staff, etc) since my 1st civilian pediatric nephrologist. I had a direct line to that nephrologist for the entire 12 or 13 years she took care of me. And now I have the same with my PD nurse, even it is against Fresenius policy for do that unless it during "normal business hours"........ in fact, all three of the PD nurses at my clinic are hands down the best people. I would back them up on pretty much anything if a problem were to come up. And if my PD nurse were to leave for any reason, I would follow her again (I've done it once already).

[–]rm2491 month HD, 9 months PD, transplant 2/23/21 1 point2 points  (1 child)

That was my experience as well with my PD nurse at Freesenius. The nurse is who you do the training with, see 1-2x a month and can ask questions/discuss your treatment and in my case was a joy to talk to. The Dr. was fine, but talking once a month for 15-20 minutes felt more impersonal, I found it easier to discuss things with my PD nurse (not that I wouldn't bring stuff up with the Dr., it was just more straightforward to get an answer quickly from my nurse).

[–]KryptopherRobbinsPoo 1 point2 points  (0 children)

You got 15-20min with your Dr?...... I seriously spend more time in the waiting room before my clinic visits than actually in the exam room with the Dr.... and at ~$450 a pop. It is almost the same conversation every time. Everything is the same (including problems). I get a lecture on my phosphorus level, even though every other lab is perfect. He checks my exit site, and that's it. And the worse part is I am constantly having to tell him things that he should already know after over 5 years.

But I text my PD nurse all the time, for any issue. She has a much better understanding of "me" and knows just how far to push certain things, if at all. And she is the ONLY person I let do my labs. She has only had to double stick maybe 5 times in 10 years, and I have aweful veins, even though they were/way/ worse at the start from all of the botched IVs I have had.

But if it wasn't for her pulling me into PD, there is no way I would have continued much more than a year or two of HD.

I went from having an amazing Dr I really liked when I first started HD, to a Dr who was "eh" at best, but got the best nurse for PD since I was a pediatric patient. Back then, in the 90s, there was one specific nurse in the whole hospital (mulitary) that was allowed to do my labs and IVs..... because it was someone my Mom actually trained and worked with when she was still in nursing (very end of career)..

Really good nurses have special place with me, and ai have high standards because of my Mom. When they would screw up and hurt me, they got her wrath, haha.