Dialysis Nurses, or Nephrology Nurses, work with patients who have kidney disease and require dialysis, often providing services in specialty clinics or other medical settings. Job duties you might include on a Dialysis Nurse job description include administering medications, running dialysis machines and assessing fistulas and patient vital signs.
A Dialysis Nurse should be able to fulfill various duties and responsibilities. The following are some duties and responsibilities a Dialysis Nurse should be able to execute:
- Dialysis Nurses provide patient care in hospitals, dialysis clinics, doctor’s offices and outpatient clinics. They might also provide services within a patient’s home. These professionals are critical in ensuring dialysis treatments are administered correctly and support patient care. The role of a Dialysis Nurse often involves providing an important contact and education point for patients dealing with complex chronic disease management.
- Monitor patients while they provide lengthy treatments to ensure comfort and well-being
- Monitor patient disease process, vital signs and other information over time to help support the patient and care team.
- Communicate instructions about fluid intake, medications and other follow-up needs with the patient, ensuring they understand how to best care for themselves between appointments.
- Because most patients on dialysis have a cross-functional care team, a Dialysis Nurses may need to update and work with a variety of doctors and other providers
A competitive Dialysis Nurse will have certain skills and qualifications, including:
- In-depth knowledge of kidney health, the use of dialysis machines and how to assess and respond to patients as they undergo dialysis treatment
- Adept at inserting and managing IVs, calling for excellent IV and phlebotomy skills
- Ability to communicate with a variety of other care providers and advocate for their patients’ needs
- Comfortable explaining complex concepts and helping patients and their family caregivers understand fluid and medication protocols and other instructions for best care
