Careers in Nursing | Nephrology Nurse

Nephrology Nurse

Career Overview

A nephrology nurse works with patients who have acute or chronic renal failure. He or she works with patients in all stages of renal disease and administers treatment, such as peritoneal dialysis and hemodialysis, in a variety of settings. Examples of places of employment include hospitals, outpatient clinics, dialysis settings, and patients’ homes.

EDUCATIONAL REQUIREMENTS

RN preparation is required. Although not a requirement for employment, a certification in dialysis nursing is helpful. On-the-job training is a large part of becoming adept at dialysis nursing. It takes approximately 6 weeks to train a nurse with experience and about 6 months before nurses are truly comfortable and able to troubleshoot problems effectively.

CORE COMPETENCIES/SKILLS NEEDED

• Ability to assess even very subtle changes in the condition of a dialysis/ nephrology patient
• Ability to understand and operate equipment used for hemodialysis
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, especially when working with patients and their families as they deal with chronic renal disease and its impact
• Ability to teach patients about renal disease, treatment, and lifestyle changes
• Ability to deal with grief and loss that can be associated with renal disease
• Collaboration and teamwork

RELATED WEBSITE AND PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATION

• American Nephrology Nurses Association (www.annanurse.org)