Become a Dialysis Technician

Dialysis technicians work in a specialized part of the healthcare industry. They are vital to the field as they are the only people trained specifically for kidney dialysis care.

What do dialysis technicians do?

Dialysis technician’s main job is to operate hemodialysis machines to perform dialysis treatment for patients that have kidney failure. Hemodialysis machines carry patients blood through tubes containing a water, sugar solution that sterilizes the blood and brings it back to the patients body.

Dialysis technicians are responsible for:

• Mix sterilization solution
• Set up dialysis machine
• Take patient history
• Record blood pressure
• Determine pulse rate
• Monitor patient’s reaction
• Inspects dialysis machine

Other important tasks of dialysis technicians include cleaning the area where the blood will be extracted, explaining the procedure and calculating blood flow and fluid removal. They also record the patient’s condition before and after the procedure by noting temperature, blood pressure, weight and respiratory rate.

Dialysis technicians must be patient and pay attention to detail because they have to look after patients before, during and after the dialysis procedure. These technicians must make sure that the patient’s vital signs continue to be normal and that they remain in stable condition.