Job Summary:

Dialysis Nurse is responsible for providing professional nephrology nursing care to patients requiring renal replacement therapies. Assures plans, implements and evaluates the nursing plan of care. The Dialysis Nurse functions as an essential member of nursing and multidisciplinary teams providing direct care to patients and families.

Education, Training and Licenses Required:

• Current state of CA Registered Nurse (RN) license required.
• Maintains current CPR certificate.

Experience Required:

• Minimum 2 years dialysis and critical care nursing experience preferred.
• Must be able to discern colors.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Performs direct patient care including but not limited to taking and monitoring vital signs, initiation and termination of dialysis, documentation, physical assessment of patients and patient treatments, taking and transcription of physician’s orders, drawing and documentation of ordered laboratory work
• Notes signs of trauma, patients’ physical and mental condition, reviews dialysis orders, documents observations in patient medical records
• Communicates all emergencies, patient life-threatening complications and related incidents to Medial Director and Dialysis Manager
• Assesses patient and family learning readiness and provides appropriate information on renal disease, prescribed dialysis treatment and medial regimen and its impact on the patient’s state of health and well-being
• Provides dialysis therapy, including but not limited to formulating dialysis plan per physician orders, weight and rate of ultrafiltration, verifying safety measures are in place and complied with, administering medications or other appropriate treatments, discontinuing dialysis according to established procedure, documenting all activity appropriately
• Instructs patients on pre- and post - dialysis care
• Participates in the development and implementation of the patient’s short and long term plan of care and monthly progress note
• Checking the patients’ vital signs and talking with them to assess their condition
• Teaching patients about their disease and its treatment and answering any questions
• Making sure patients are given the correct medications ordered by their doctors
• Reviewing the patients’ lab work and letting the doctors know about changes in their patients’ conditions
• Oversees the review and evaluation of patient care in accordance with regulatory agencies, facility quality program
• In collaboration with the Education Coordinator and Dialysis Manager plans for and provides the training and assessments of patient care staff
• Collaborates with the Medical Director, Social Worker, Dietitian, Staff Nurses and Technicians on any specific problem of patient care including selection of modality
• Actively encourages and helps maintain open and free communication between staff, administration, physicians and patients
• Reviews financial operations of Dialysis Unit with Administrative Team, Medical Director, and Dialysis Manager providing input and participation in financial decisions relating to operations

Equipment Knowledge Required:

• Ability to learn function of machines utilized in patient care, various traction equipment and drainage tubes.
• Ability to assist MD/RN with procedures.
• Competency with the electronic documentation system must be obtained within 30 days of hire with full proficiency by 90 days of hire.