Kidneys related diseases are on an extreme rise worldwide. Nephrology is the branch of medicine which deals with such diseases. Nurses also have a lot of job opportunities in this branch. This is why many nurses are nowadays opting to become Certified Hemodialysis Nurses.

A Hemodialysis nurse’s job is to monitor the patient not just during the dialysis but also before and after the procedure. Dialysis is a procedure in which a machine is used on the patient to clean the blood. In case something is not normal in the patient’s condition the nurse’s job is to report to the doctors or the technicians.  Since dialysis is a complex procedure and involves a lot of technicalities, a hemodialysis nurse has got a lot of responsibilities on her shoulders.

If you want to be a Certified Hemodialysis nurse and want to have more information regarding this amazing profession, then this article is just for you.

Required Educational Qualification

You have to be certified registered nurse (CRN) to become a Hemodialysis nurse.  Once you have become a registered nurse, you have to train between 2 to 4 years to get your hemodialysis nurse certificate.

A registered nurse has to acquire a bachelors or an associate degree in nursing. The degree involves a lot of core and optional programs along with a hands-on training. So, if you are an aspiring hemodialysis nurse, you should focus more on getting trained in nutrition, nephrology and pharmacology.

If you are looking forward towards having a career in hemdialysis nursing after becoming an advanced practice nurse, you have to further pursue a masters or a doctor’s degree in nursing before getting trained as a hemodialysis nurse.

Choose Your Nursing Program Carefully

In case you are still deciding on regarding which program to choose for your nursing degree, then you can go through the online directories of American Association of Colleges of Nursing and Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing.

Required Training

You need to have a certain training experience as a certified nurse before getting your certification as a hemodialysis nurse. If you are a new RN, you may need to get enrolled into a different nursing residency program for making your training more beneficial. You may need to work certain number of hours for becoming a hemodialysis nurse. Remember that different states have got different requirements. You can check your state’s requirements from the State Board of Nursing.

Required Certification or Licensing

You have to be a certified nurse. This is the standard which should be met if you want to work in any of the 50 states as well as the District of Columbia. The certification or the license needs to be approved by the National Council Licensure Examination or NCLE.

You can also go for a certification in CNN or Certified Nephrology Nurse. The degree is given by the Nephrology Nursing Certification Commission. For this degree, you need to have a bachelor’s degree in nursing along with 3000 hours of experience as a nurse as well as 30 hours of experience in the field documented.

Required Skills

For becoming a hemodialysis nurse, you should have excellent interpersonal skills. These skills are the basis of the nursing profession, and contribute a lot in developing a relationship of trust between the nurse and the patient.

Patients who suffer from nephrology issues have to go through a lot of ups and downs; this is why you have to be really emotionally stable to deal with any kind of situation in a professional manner.