Working as a Nephrology or Dialysis Nurse

Nephrology nursing is a rewarding career choice, it is a career filled with challenges that fill your work-days with new experiences. As a nephrology nurse, you will care for patients with end stage renal or kidney disease. Their kidneys are no longer able to function at the level needed to perform the necessary physiological functions necessary for life.

After working a certain amount of hours as a nephrology nurse, you can study for your certification. Certifications are available for a registered nurse with an associates degree or for a registered nurse with a bachelors degree. A registered nurse with an associates degree can take the CDN or Certified Dialysis Nurse test and a registered nurse with a bachelors degree can take the CNN or Certified Nephrology Nurse test. Having this certification opens the door to many more opportunities and a higher compensation rate. The certification is also assurance to employers that you know your job well.

Nephrology nurses work alongside members of a health care team who form the interdisciplinary team. This team works together with the common goal of meeting the health needs of the patient. The nephrologist is the doctor who specializes in kidney diseases. He or she will be the one who orders the type of care the patient needs. A dietitian will evaluate the patients' diet and lab work to make sure they are receiving the right amount of nutrients and protein. A social worker is present to address any ethical, financial or emotional needs and the social worker is the person who gets the interdisciplinary team together periodically to discuss the progress of each patient. The patient and their loved ones are invited and encouraged to attend their individual interdisciplinary meetings.

Nephrology nurses work as charge nurses and managers in out-patient dialysis centers. The charge nurse is a registered nurse who supervises the dialysis technicians, who provide direct care for the patients. They make sure the prescription written by the nephrologist for treatment is programmed correctly in the dialysis machine and that each patient is receiving a good treatment. The charge nurse works under the direction of a nurse manager who runs the dialysis center. The nurse manager is responsible for the safe operation of the clinic and the hiring of new personnel,

Some hospitals have an inpatient dialysis unit. The patients in these units are not stable enough for outpatient dialysis services or they may be hospitalized for other conditions and require dialysis while they are hospitalized. A registered nurse will dialyze a patient in the hospital after a dialysis technician prepares and programs the machine for treatment. You will work under a nephrologist who is always on duty in the hospital and who orders the treatment for the patient.

There are travel agencies dedicated to finding short or long-term assignments for nephrology nurses. As a travel nephrology nurse, you will have the opportunity to work in the state of your choice or overseas. Travel nurses are compensated more than nurses who work permanently and their rent is usually paid 100% wherever they stay. If a travel nurse chooses to stay with family or friends while completing an assignment, the agency usually pays them a generous stipend. Health and other benefits are available for travel nephrology nurses.

Imagine working as a nephrology cruise nurse. You will be responsible for administering dialysis to passengers who are traveling on cruises who need treatments. While working on a cruise ship, you'll be able to enjoy the voyages of the ship and experience the exciting places they go.