Dialysis Technician Job Description
When a patient loses his or her kidney functions, then he or she requires medical attention that can be received from a dialysis tech, also sometimes referred to as a renal dialysis technician.
A dialysis technician works with equipment that removes waste from a patient’s blood in an efficient and safe way. A dialysis technician has a wide variety of responsibilities including the following:
- Setting up and operating hemodialysis machines to treat patients with kidney failure
- Priming dialyzer with heparinized solution or saline to prepare the machine to be used
- Attaching tubing and dialyzer to the machine in order to assemble it for use
- Bringing the patient to the dialysis room for treatment
- Explaining dialysis procedure to the patient prior to treatment in order to take care of any possible anxiety
- Taking and recording the patient’s weight, blood pressure, temperature, pulse rate, and respiration rate pre-dialysis
- Cleaning the access area using antiseptic solution
- Connecting the hemodialysis machine to the access in order to begin the blood circulating through the dialyzer
- Starting blood flow pump at the prescribed rate
- Inspecting equipment settings to ensure conformance to safety standards
- Monitoring the patient for any adverse reaction
- Monitoring the machine for any possible malfunction
- Taking and recording the patient’s weight, blood pressure, temperature, pulse rate, and respiration rate post-dialysis
For a person to be a successful dialysis technician, he or she needs to have excellent hand-eye coordination and excellent interpersonal skills. It’s essential that you enjoy working with people, as your making your patient feel comfortable is one big part of your job as a dialysis technician.
Diaysis Tech Education
If you’re interested in becoming a dialysis technician, you’ll need to at least have a high school diploma or GED. Additionally, there are many community colleges or vocational schools that offer programs that can help you get certified as a dialysis technician. Typically, a dialysis tech trains on the job under the supervision of a registered nurse.
While certification or training isn’t necessary for one to become a dialysis technician, it can certainly give you the benefit when applying for jobs. Therefore, it might be a good idea to pursue an educational program that can provide you with dialysis technician certification.
Dialysis Technician Salary
A dialysis technician can expect to earn an annual salary between $45,000 and $62,000. ZipRecruiter.com lists the average annual salary for a dialysis tech as $57,900. However, there are many different factors that can affect the amount that a dialysis technician earns each year—namely education and experience.
In order for you to have the best chances of earning the best salary, be sure to go the extra mile and become certified or study at a vocation school or community college.
So, if you enjoy working with people, want to get involved in the medical industry, and would like to make a difference, consider studying to become a dialysis technician or renal dialysis technician.
But don’t just being searching for job openings! Be sure that you get the proper training and education necessary first.