Job Description

A certified clinical hemodialysis technician is part of the team that provides patient care to people undergoing chronic hemodialysis treatment due to renal failure. In addition to managing equipment, other duties include monitoring patient status and providing general medical assistance.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities of a Dialysis Technician

• Assembles the dialysis machine and ensures that it is sterile and in good working order before beginning a procedure with a patient.
• Records patient’s information.
• Ensures that the patient is in the proper position for the procedure.
• Inspects the dialysis machine before beginning the procedure to ensure it is in compliance with safety standards.
• Examines a patient’s chart and administers anesthesia, inserts a needle and begins the dialysis procedure.
• Mixes the dialysate formula according to the prescription written by the patient’s physician.
• While the procedure is going on, the technician checks fluid rates and the anticoagulant adjusting them as necessary.
• Monitors the machine for malfunctions and the patient for adverse reactions.
• Responds to any alarms that go off or any emergencies that come up.
• Disconnects the machine after the procedure and cleans and sterilizes it.
• Records the patient’s vital signs before the patient goes home including temperature, weight, respiration rate, blood pressure and pulse.
• Reports any patients’ emotional or physical issues to the nurse on duty.
• Maintains patient confidentiality at all times.
• Assists in educating the patient about care before and after the procedure.
• Takes proper safety precautions to prevent blood borne illnesses.

Your other duties include equipment maintenance and repair, dialyzer reprocessing, and the documentation of care provided. You initiate and discontinue hemodialysis treatments, as well as obtain blood samples and monitor vital signs.

Your responsibilities for equipment management include programming, cleaning, and monitoring the hemodialysis machines. With an in-depth understanding of the facility’s water treatment system, you watch this system closely as part of patient safety.

Qualifications:

• Certified Hemodialysis Technician (CHT) designation.
• Continuing education and license renewal every two to four years.
• Exhibits strong technological skills.
• Possesses knowledge of required safety standards in the industry.
• Displays excellent organizational skills and is very detail oriented.