Dialysis Technician – Should You Become One?
The dialysis technician is a highly sought after medical professional. Also known as a hemodialysis technician, this kidney specialist helps those who need dialysis receive their treatment. The number of people in the United States who have end stage renal disease (ESRD), or kidney failure, continues to rise every year. In fact, according to the website Kidney.org the rate of chronic kidney disease (CKD) rises by an average of 6% every year. This means the need for the dialysis technician will grow each year. To work in this field you must first get your dialysis technician certification. The renal dialysis technician is an integral part of the dialysis team which includes the nephrologist (kidney doctor) and the nephrology nurse. There are many technician schools all around the country to help fill the void of dialysis jobs.
The dialysis tech can work in a variety of settings, but usually will be employed in either a hospital or any of the numerous stand alone dialysis centers. Dialysis clinics will employ the bulk of these technicians because of the sheer number of renal patients who need dialysis on a regular basis.
Dialysis Technician Salary
The dialysis technician salary ranges between $12 and $16 an hour. This figure is expected to rise just as most medical jobs will into the foreseeable future. The huge growth in renal dialysis patients is a big factor for this. This is a classic case of supply and demand. Think about it, if there are more open positions than can be filled by the current pool of techs, then the salary will have to increase to entice a technician to work in a position for an employer. In other words, if a dialysis clinic needs to fill five positions but the hospital across town has several openings as well for this dialysis professional, then each employer will have to offer more money to attract the best candidates to fill their dialysis jobs.
But wait, it gets better. Not only does the technician pay attract people to this field, the benefits draw them in as well. Benefits can vary widely from employer to employer, but for the most part they can include health insurance, paid time off, flexible work schedules, life insurance, and other perks. Everyone knows how expensive and how difficult it can be to get health insurance these days. Most employers offer health insurance to their employees. But when you work in the medical field, especially a hospital, you receive cheaper and better insurance on average. The salary of a hemodialysis technician will grow over time as he or she gets more experience and takes on additional responsibility in their work environment.
Dialysis Technician Jobs
The hemodialysis technician job is perfect for someone who enjoys interacting with other people. And especially so when you enjoy helping others feel better. Understand that most long term dialysis patients receive their dialysis treatments three times a week. They usually either have a Monday, Wednesday, Friday, or a Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday treatment schedule. Each dialysis session usually lasts around four hours. So if you think about it, a dialysis patient is hooked up to a dialysis machine for approximately twelve hours a week. The dialysis machine will do in those 12 hours a week what normal kidneys will do gradually over a weeks time, which is 164 hours. This cleaning of the blood in a four hour treatment session isn’t normal for the body and can lead to some severe side effects such as nausea and vomiting.
So the best candidates for the hemodialysis technician job will be those who are compassionate, and enjoy cheering people up. To become a certified dialysis technician you have to obtain either your Certified Clinical Hemodialysis Technician (CCHT) or the Certified Hemodialysis Technologist/Technician (CHT). These certifications are governed by BONENT, which stands for the Board of Nephrology Examiners Nursing and Technology. They over see the implementation of the certification test you take after completion of a dialysis tech course. The Bureau of Labor Statistics notes that the increase of dialysis technician jobs will grow by 15% a year till 2018. This is incredible and means there will continue to be a strong need for these dialysis professionals.
Dialysis Technician Training
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| Title | Review of Hemodialysis for Nurses and Dialysis Personnel, 8e (Review of Hemodialysis for Nurses & Dialysis Personnel) | Handbook of Dialysis (The Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Handbook Series) | CCHT Exam Secrets Study Guide: CCHT Test Review for the Certified Clinical Hemodialysis Technician Exam | CCHT Exam Flashcard Study System: CCHT Test Practice Questions & Review for the Certified Clinical Hemodialysis Technician Exam |
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| Price | $44.56 | $58.95 | $49.99 | $49.99 |
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Dialysis technician training is outlined in the core curriculum for the dialysis technician by the Council of Nephrology Nurses and Technicians. It is usually a 6 to 12 month in depth course that covers a lot of material. These course are taught in numerous technician schools across the country. In the program many aspects of dialysis is covered. This starts with an overview of nephrology, or the study of the kidneys. You will learn the role the kidney doctor, or nephrologist, plays in the treatment of renal patients. Patients who have kidney failure will see this specialist medical doctor. The nephrologist is the best person to explain to a patient what causes kidney failure.
There are differing levels of kidney disease, but it is the patients with end stage renal disease (ESRD) that the hemodialysis technician will help in treating. Other diagnoses your dialysis patients will have are either acute renal failure (ACF), or chronic renal failure (CRF). It is sometimes necessary though for someone to undergo kidney dialysis for certain types of medical problems that wouldn’t require ongoing renal dialysis, just a temporary treatment regimen. These are individuals whose renal function have dropped due to specialized circumstances such as burn victims. But by far the majority of patients who use dialysis in an ongoing basis are those who have chronic kidney disease. This basically means that the kidney function has dropped to such a point where the kidneys can no longer perform their job of filtering out waste products and toxins from the blood stream produced by normal bodily metabolism.
What can’t be taught is the ability to have compassion for your fellow human beings. Individuals with end stage renal disease almost always have additional health problems in addition to their kidney disease. Two medical conditions that can lead to renal failure is diabetes and high blood pressure, also known as hypertension. Chronic high blood pressure damages the delicate parts of the kidney called nephrons. These are responsible for the filtering mechanism of the kidney.
So in addition to kidney failure, most of the patients you will see will have other major health problems. In other words renal patients tend to be very sick individuals. So if you are the type who can help put someone at ease by being proficient in your abilities and knowledgeable in your answers to questions patients will have, this could be a very beneficial career for you.
So just to recap, the career of the dialysis technician is an in demand medical profession. Training for these dialysis technicians is offered by many technician schools and can be completed in as little as 6 months. If you believe you have what it takes to become a dialysis technician then learn about your options for education through the resources on this site.
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