Become a Dialysis Technician

An interest in science and technology and working with people can help you to become a dialysis technician. As a dialysis technician you get to save lives while earning a competitive wage. Dialysis technicians are different from dialysis technologists. The technologists specialize in the technical operation of dialysis facilities, including the maintenance and repair of dialysis equipment.

Dialysis Technician Job Description

Dialysis is a lifesaving procedure used to remove excess fluids from the blood and take them out of body. There are two kinds of dialysis. In one the patient's blood is passed through a machine with special filter and the cleansed blood is returned to the body. This procedure is called Hemo-dialysis. The other one, Peritoneal dialysis requires inserting a tube into the patient's abdomen and using the membrane lining of the abdominal cavity as a filter. Under the supervision of a registered nephrology nurse, Dialysis technicians operate hemodialysis machines and perform dialysis on patients with acute or chronic kidney failure. A dialysis technician monitors the patients whose kidneys no longer function properly to make urine and remove waste products from the body.

It is the responsibility of a dialysis technician to monitor patients as they undergo dialysis to ensure that the treatment goes smoothly and the equipments are functioning properly. Also they have to check patient's blood pressure, temperature and pulse rate and test the blood to make sure that waste is removed properly.

Dialysis Technician Duties and Responsibilities

The duties and responsibilities of a dialysis technician include : monitoring the patients vital signs like the blood pressure, temperature; checking the blood chemistry to see if waste products are being removed, teach patients how to use dialysis equipments; advise patients when to call for medical assistance; sometimes visit patients in their homes; record treatment information; clean and repair the equipments. The technicians who work on the equipment must have good mechanical aptitude.

Dialysis Technician Educational Requirements

You can enter the field with a high school diploma and acquire essential skills on the job. Though highly qualified candidates with formal training from a technician training school find better employment opportunities and also prepare you for future certification. The training programs offered at community and junior colleges and technical institutes are generally 6 to 12 weeks long. These provide both classroom and hands on clinical work. The topics of study in the program include principles of dialysis, anatomy and physiology of the kidney and complications of renal failure.

Dialysis Technician Career Options

Qualified graduates of dialysis tech schools can work in a variety of settings, including dialysis clinics, hospitals, private practices, and home dialysis programs. There are different job titles that are referred as dialysis technicians, such as nurses, biomedical equipment technicians, patient care technicians, and reuse technicians. Traditionally, nurses filled most of the dialysis technician positions but now the trend is changing. The National Association of Nephrology Technicians/Technologists (NANT) is currently developing standard job descriptions and to promote the certification of dialysis technicians and technologists.

Working directly with patients requires dialysis technicians to be compassionate and have strong communication skills. Technicians must be reassuring and work diligently. The increasing number of patients on dialysis has led to increase in the demand of professional dialysis technicians. Thus, the employment opportunities for the technicians are good.

Georgia Medical Institute is one of many schools offering Medical Assistant training. Please check with them directly for accurate information.