Professionalism and the Dialysis Technician

The dialysis technician or dialysis nurse cares for individuals who are being treated with hemodialysis either in a dialysis clinic, a hospital environment, or a home health situation. Dialysis technicians are directly supervised by physicians and registered nurses. Their main duties include operating kidney dialysis machines, preparing dialyzer reprocessing and delivery systems, and maintaining dialysis equipment maintenance. They also monitor and operate various machines related to peritoneal dialysis, hemodialysis, plasmaphoresis, and drug overdose. Additionally, they may be asked to develop and implement protocols for equipment evaluation and training materials to instruct patients and staff in practices and principles of dialysis. They are also asked to help in monitoring patients during dialysis sessions under direct and close supervision by physicians and nurses. These jobs require a high school diploma or its equivalent, state certification that varies by state, and 2-4 years. Specifically, this badge demonstrates the earner's ability to describe the team members and their duties and understand the history behind renal dialysis.