Dialysis Nurse: Job Responsibilities, Requirements and Career Outlook
A dialysis nurse administers treatment to patients with kidney disease to remove toxins and excess water. To become a dialysis nurse one must be a registered nurse and pass the state licensing exam for nursing; specialty certification for dialysis nurses is also available.
Job Responsibilities
A dialysis nurse may work in the dialysis department of a hospital, a dialysis clinic or a physician's office. The main job is administering dialysis treatments to patients with kidney disease; patients who have experienced renal failure require fluid injections that replicate the function of the kidney. The dialysis nurse typically operates a hemodialysis machine that extracts blood from the patient, cleans it and return into the body.
Their responsibilities include monitoring patient vital signs, communicating procedure details with patients and assessing the effectiveness of procedures, as well as being responsible for work area cleanliness. It is also the responsibility of the dialysis nurse to be sympathetic, caring, patient, positive and responsible when caring for patients.
Dialysis treatments are also one of the main responsibilities of a nephrology nurse. The terms dialysis nurse and nephrology nurse are often interchangeable; however, a nephrology nurse is involved in all aspects of treatment of patients with kidney problems, including dialysis.
Education Requirements
A dialysis nurse must be a registered nurse (RN). This title can be obtained by completing an Associate of Science in Nursing or a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and passing a state licensing exam. The licensing exam is called the National Council Licensure Examination - Registered Nurse (NCLEX - RN). Some employers require that applicants have a minimum of two years experience as a registered nurse before being hired as a dialysis nurse.
The Nephrology Nursing Certification Commission offers a certification program for registered nurses who wish to become a Certified Dialysis Nurse. Certification requires two years of experience as a registered nurse, 2,000 hours of working with patients on dialysis and 15 hours of approved continuing education credits; it must be renewed every three years.
Career Outlook
Although there is no specific data available regarding dialysis nurses, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the number of registered nurses nationwide is expected to increase by an average of 22% between the years 2008 and 2018 (www.bls.gov); this number is much faster than the average. The BLS also states that the number of nurses working in a physician's office is expected to increase by 45%.
Related to Dialysis Nurse: Job Responsibilities, Requirements and Career Outlook
- Related
- Recently Updated
- Popular
Nurse Practitioner Vs. Physician Assistant: What's the Difference?
Nurse practitioners (NPs) and physician assistants (PAs) are healthcare workers who typically work under the...
Nurse Practitioner: Continuing Education Overview
Nurse practitioners (NPs) can further develop their professional skills through continuing education programs. Read...
Renal Dialysis Nurse: Education Requirements and Career Overview
A renal dialysis nurse, also called a nephrology nurse, is a certified registered nurse specializing in caring for...
Online Certified Nurse Assistant Programs with Course Information
Certified Nurse Assistant programs are not available entirely online. Some institutions offer hybrid programs that...
Online Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) Degree Program Information
- Nursing Training: Top College for Becoming a Nurse - Wichita, KS
- Nursing School: Top School for Becoming a Nurse - Sacramento, CA
- Nurse Practitioner Vs. Masters Degree in Nursing: What's the Difference?
- Top University with Computer Engineering Technology Degrees - Fresno, CA
- Top School for Earning a Psychology Degree - Atlanta, GA
- Top Ranked School for Human Resource Management Degree - Atlanta, GA
- Top University with a Master's Degree in Health Administration - Birmingham, AL
23 Popular Schools
-
Minimum eligibility requirements:
- Must live within close proximity to school locations
- Must be graduated from high school by 2011
School locations:
- Arizona (1 campus)
- Florida (1 campus)
- Pennsylvania (1)
- Texas (2)
Classroom-Based Programs
-
School locations:
- Online Learning
- Arizona (3 campuses)
- California (16)
- Colorado (3)
- Florida (6)
- Georgia (4)
- Illinois (8)
- Indiana (2)
- Kentucky (1)
- Maryland (1)
- Michigan (1)
- Minnesota (1)
- Missouri (2)
- North Carolina (2)
- New Jersey (3)
- Nevada (1)
- New York (2)
- Ohio (4)
- Oklahoma (1)
- Oregon (1)
- Pennsylvania (5)
- Tennessee (2)
- Texas (7)
- Utah (1)
- Virginia (3)
- Washington (3)
- Wisconsin (2)
Online and Classroom-Based Programs
-
Minimum eligibility requirements:
- Must be a high school graduate or have completed GED
School locations:
- Online Learning
- California (1 campus)
- Colorado (1)
- Minnesota (1)
- Texas (1)
Online and Classroom-Based Programs
-
Master
-
- MS in Health Services Management
- Bachelor
- Associate
-
Minimum eligibility requirements:
- Must be 21 years of age or older and have completed some college or 24 years of age or older and a high school graduate for a Bachelor's degree
- Masters degree applicants must have a Bachelors degree
- Doctorate degree applicants must have a Masters degree
School locations:
- Online Learning
Online Programs
- Doctorate
- Master
-
Bachelor
-
- BS in Health Studies - General
- BS in Health Studies - Health Management
-
-
Minimum eligibility requirements:
- Must be a high school graduate or have completed GED
School locations:
- Online Learning
Online Programs
- Master
- Bachelor
-
Associate
-
- AAS in Medical Assisting
- AS in Health Science
-
-
Minimum eligibility requirements:
- Must be a high school graduate or have completed GED
School locations:
- Online Learning
Online Programs
-
Minimum eligibility requirements:
- Must be a high school graduate.
School locations:
- Online Learning
Online Programs
-
Master
-
- Master of Science in Education - Allied Health Teaching and Leadership
-
-
Bachelor
-
- BS in Health Science
-
-
Minimum eligibility requirements:
- Must be a high school graduate or have completed GED
School locations:
- Online Learning
- Arizona (5 campuses)
- California (25)
- Colorado (2)
- Columbia (D.C.) (1)
- Florida (6)
- Georgia (3)
- Hawaii (2)
- Louisiana (1)
- Michigan (1)
- Missouri (2)
- Nevada (2)
- Ohio (1)
- Tennessee (1)
- Texas (4)
- Virginia (1)
Online and Classroom-Based Programs
- Doctorate
- Master
- Bachelor
-
Associate
-
- AA in Health Care Administration
- AA in Health Care Administration-Medical Records
- Associate of Arts - Health Care Administration/Electronic Health Records
-
- Associate of Arts Foundations in Health Care Administration
- Associate of Arts Foundations in Health Care Administration/Medical Records
-
- Non-Degree
-
Minimum eligibility requirements:
- Must have either two or more years of college or active military status if you are under 24 years of age
School locations:
- Online Learning
Online Programs
-
Minimum eligibility requirements:
- Must be a high school graduate or have completed GED
- Currently not accepting applications from Texas residents
School locations:
- Online Learning
Online Programs
-
Master
-
- MBA Dual Concentration: Healthcare Management and Project Management
-
- MBA Dual Concentration: Healthcare Management and Public Safety Leadership
-
-
Associate
-
- AS in Medical Assisting
-
- Non-Degree
