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With good clinical training and experience, you can make a difference in people’s lives. While most hemodialysis nurses work in hospitals, some may work in dialysis centers or at home with patients who have chronic kidney failure. In either case, hemodialysis nurses are responsible for working closely with patients to ensure their safety during treatment and recovery. Some of the skills they need include:
Who is a hemodialysis nurse?
A hemodialysis nurse is a registered nurse who provides care to patients who have kidney failure. In this role, you will work with other medical professionals and administrators to provide pre-dialysis and post-dialysis care for your patients. You’ll also assist in the treatment of patients who have kidney failure.
Your patients will be those who have lost kidney function due to diseases or injury. Dialysis is a treatment that uses machines to clean the blood of toxins, waste and extra fluid. It can be used in place of healthy kidneys for people who cannot live without it. Patients may stay on dialysis for years or even decades. Dialysis nurses are important members of the team because they help people deal with their illness while they wait for a kidney transplant or while they recover from surgery.[1]
As a hemodialysis nurse, you will be responsible for assisting in the treatment and recovery of patients who have kidney failure. Your duties will include providing pre-dialysis and post-dialysis care to the patient, assisting with the administration of medications, providing education to patients and their families, monitoring vital signs (blood pressure, pulse rate) as well as supervising dialysis technicians.
- Pre-dialysis and post-dialysis care.
The role of the hemodialysis nurse usually begins with providing pre-dialysis and post-dialysis care to the patient. This includes checking vital signs such as blood pressure, heart rate and temperature; administering medications; monitoring dialyzer function; making sure that patients are comfortable during their treatments; explaining the procedure to them so as to minimize anxiety or pain; and/or performing minor tasks such as cleaning out tubing lines between treatments at home (when applicable).
The most common type of dialysis treatment is hemodialysis.
Hemodialysis is the most common type of dialysis. When a patient’s kidneys have failed, hemodialysis uses an artificial kidney (dialyzer) to remove waste products and extra water from the blood. This treatment can help prevent your blood from becoming too thick, or it can improve your fluid balance if you have heart failure or edema (fluid retention). Hemodialysis also removes excess potassium from your body, which helps to prevent dangerous arrhythmias.
Dialysis does not cure kidney disease; it simply helps you live longer while waiting for a kidney transplant or until your condition improves enough that you can stop dialysis treatment altogether. A doctor will decide whether hemodialysis is right for you based on several factors including age and health status as well as how severe your kidney disease is—while some people go on dialysis immediately after diagnosis with end-stage renal disease (ESRD), others may wait until their condition deteriorates further before starting treatment.
If you’re considering a career in nursing and want to help patients with kidney failure, becoming a hemodialysis nurse may be right for you. As a hemodialysis nurse, your job will be to assist patients by providing pre-dialysis and post-dialysis care. You’ll also help monitor their condition throughout their treatment process.
