Dialysis Nurse Job Description

Nurses are in close contact with the patients and their main objective is to analyze and understand patient's needs and fulfill them. There are various specializations in nursing field as in case of doctors. Some of the specialized areas in which nurses work are, advanced practice, acute care, cardiovascular intensive care, neonatal intensive care unit, pediatric intensive care unit, primary care, progressive care unit, renal dialysis/pheresis and surgery. According to the specialization the areas of work of the nurses vary. Dialysis nurses or renal dialysis nurses work in nephrology department of the hospital. They provide personal care and help to the patients who undergo hemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis. The treatment of dialysis is given to the patients whose kidneys are not functioning properly and require immediate treatment. Dialysis is carried out in most serious cases of kidney functioning disorders. To know more about the responsibilities of a dialysis nurse in the treatment of kidney dialysis, you can read below.

Nurses working as dialysis nurses have all the basic knowledge of nursing apart from the techniques used in the dialysis process. They can also work in other general wards of the hospital and provide care to other patients as well. Given here are some of the duties and responsibilities of a dialysis nurse.

Job Responsibilities of a Dialysis Nurse:

Dialysis nurses arrange necessary settings in the operation theatre for the kidney dialysis of the patients
They make sure that the doctor is provided with all the necessary equipments at the time of the dialysis process
They assist the entire dialysis process and answer queries and concerns of the patients
They discuss general signs and symptoms associated with dialysis to make patients aware of them beforehand
They monitor the patients progress post treatment visiting their home and conducting certain tests
They document these reports and hand them to the concerned doctors
They assist the patients in taking the prescribed medications and make sure that the patients are following all the instructions given by the doctors
They provide guidance to the patients in disease management whenever necessary and schedules periodic meeting with the doctors for post-operative checkups

Skills Required in Dialysis Nurse:

Every successful nurse has a concern and willingness for the welfare of others
Apart from this a dialysis nurse is required to have in-depth knowledge of the methods used in the process of dialysis
Knowledge of the medications to be provided to the patients
Dialysis is generally carried out in adults and old people so they should have ability to deal with them with good communications skills
They should be devoted and passionate towards their work and should be ready to work at any time in case of emergency
Ability to access the patient's needs quickly is very important in such critical cases
Respond promptly to emergency situations and take appropriate decisions
Should be comfortable working in various settings

Qualifications Required for Dialysis Nurses:

Dialysis nurses generally require passing a Registered Nursing Certification Program. This nursing program takes 4 years to complete. After completion of this nursing program, they have to take up a specialized nursing certification program in nephrology.

Experience in the nephrology nursing is also required to qualify for this profile. This career has a good scope of growth. Some dialysis nurses work in hospital and healthcare unit setting while some work in home health care services.

Compensation Offered for Dialysis Nurse:

The average annual earnings of dialysis nurse were about $58,306 per annum. The salaries varied depending upon the states.

Hope the dialysis nurse job description gave you a clear picture of duties, skills, qualifications and salaries of a dialysis nurse.

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