Certified Dialysis Technician

Certified Dialysis Technician

Requirements

• High school diploma or GED
• Certified as a Clinical Hemodialysis Technician (CCHT) under a state certification program or a national commercially available program as a Patient Care Dialysis Technician
• Current Basic Life Support (BLS) certification from an American Heart Association (AHA) BLS for Healthcare Providers or an American Red Cross CPR/AED for Professional Rescuer and Healthcare Provider

Responsibilities

• Provides patient care under the direct visual supervision of a Registered Nurse or in a treatment room immediately adjacent to an RN
• Responsible for reporting and documenting all new and unusual incidents, information, complaints, or problems to the RN
• With documented competency and proficiency may set up and prime equipment as directed by the Registered Nurse for renal replacement therapies
• Welcomes assigned patients and inquires as to their well-being since their last treatment
• Reports any complaints or observations to the RN
• Evaluates vascular access for patency and reports any unusual findings to RN
• Obtains necessary pre and post treatment vital signs and weight
• Performs vascular access cannulation and reports any difficulties in cannulation or unusual findings to RN
• Responsible for calculating and entry of individual patients’ dialysis machine programming for Ultrafiltration (UF) goal; treatment time; Sodium (Na) modeling; and UF modeling as prescribed
• Responsible for ensuring appropriate safety alarms are enabled including narrow venous limits
• Records accurate and timely information regarding vital signs and treatment parameters onto the Hemodialysis Treatment Sheet with initial identification
• Initiates renal replacement treatment according to prescribed orders including setting blood flow rate (QB) and dialysate flow rate (QD) or peritoneal dialysis as prescribed by the attending nephrologist
• Collects, labels specimens and ensures timely delivery to laboratory per facility policy
• Evaluates intradialytic problems and provides intervention as prescribed by physician’s order or as directed by RN
• Monitors patient’s response to dialysis therapy and report any unusual findings to RN
• Obtains vital signs prior to reinfusion; performing all relevant functions necessary for the discontinuation of treatment documentation
• Reports any change or unusual findings to RN
• Performs and document any intervention for unusual patient status and document patients’ response to intervention
• Evaluates patients’ vascular access during treatment including arterial and venous monitoring pressures, provides appropriate intervention as needed, documents and reports any unusual findings to the RN
• Discontinues dialysis treatment according to established procedures
• Evaluates patient prior to termination of venous access – standing and sitting blood pressures prior to termination of venous access
• Obtains hemostasis and applies appropriate dressings
• Evaluates the patient prior to discharge and reports any unusual findings to the RN
• Performs and records Pre and Post dialysis evaluation, weight and vital signs with initial identification
• Other duties as required

Preferred Qualifications

• 1 year of work experience