Being a dialysis technician is an exciting and rewarding career. Students who are considering this program should have prior patient care experience. This program is a intensive training on how to care for the dialysis patient. The students are taught about the anatomy and physiology of the renal system. This must first be understood in order to be able to use critical thinking when mitigating a dialysis patient who may be decompensating. Students will learn about the different types of dialysis, such as peritoneal, atrioventricular, and central venous. The nursing process is used in training the students. The term, “Nursing Process”, refers to the process of learning how to recognize signs and symptoms of the patients and using critical thinking to make a determination of the severity of their condition or if immediate intervention is required. To be able to utilize and implement this process, students must learn vital signs, renal disease pathophysiology, diseases that contribute to renal failure and the stages of renal failure. Building upon these topics the students will explore the medication regime of the dialysis patient and why phosphate binders with out calcium are used, how the dialysis machine works and the necessary controls related to the proper functioning of the machine. Students will also learn to cannulate the patient using real dialysis needles and anatomical life like arms.
Nancy L. Kimmel obtained her PhD in Environmental Engineering in 2002, then went on to teach Physics and Mechanical Engineering at Lawrence Technological University, Henry Ford College and Oakland University. She obtained her Associate in Nursing from Henry Ford College and then went on to earn her Master Degree as a Family Nurse Practitioner and became Board Certified working as a licensed FNP in the State of Michigan. She then went on to Medical School where she is now in her 3rd year, and is also in the process of obtaining her Doctorate in Nursing Practice through Chamberlin University. She has authored the NET Study Guide, as well a several books on subjects of Math, ECG/EKG and Phlebotomy. She holds a patent on an Air Filter through the U.S. Patent Office.