What are the Benefits of Home Hemodialysis?
Home hemodialysis treatment works the same as dialysis performed at a medical facility. Patients are able to do home hemodialysis treatment with or without the assistance of a nurse. Many patients, especially those who are older, prefer the help of a hemodialysis nurse.
Here are a few of the benefits patients can receive when they choose home hemodialysis treatment.
- Patients enjoy a treatment in the comfort of their own homes without having to leave the house during bad weather or holidays. This allows them to save time and money on travel costs as well.
- Patients have the option to choose when they want to receive treatment based on recommendations from their doctor. This allows more flexibility for those who work, attend school, or wish to be more social.
- Dialysis patients and their care partners can insert their own needles, which is something that some patients prefer. However, they can always get assistance from a home hemodialysis nurse if needed.
- Home hemodialysis patients have more freedom with their diets if their doctor prescribes more frequent, at-home dialysis treatments.
What are the Requirements to be a Home Hemodialysis Nurse?
Home hemodialysis nurses can provide training for patients and their caregivers so that they may carry out the treatment on their own in the future.
To work as a home dialysis nurse, you will need:
- To be an RN and licensed in the state you are practicing in
- Have at least 3 months of experience working with either peritoneal or hemodialysis patients if you plan to independently teach patients at home
Training to be a home hemodialysis nurse must be medicare certified for home training and support, and they must teach the following:
- How to do the procedure
- What to report to doctors or supervising nurses
- Resources and how to access them
- Management of ESRD
- How to properly handle medical and non-medical emergencies
- Safety precautions for infection control
- The proper tactics for waste storage and disposal
What Type of Personality is Best For This Type of Nurse?
Working as a home hemodialysis nurse is very different from working in a doctor’s office or emergency room setting. Because home training nurses are expected to provide training and support for patients and their caregivers, it’s important that you have plenty of patience and understanding.
Many home hemodialysis nurses will create a strong relationship with their patients and doing so can be very useful when it comes to helping the patient understand the importance of training. Home training nurses need to be able to answer questions clearly and professionally. They should know how to individualize their answers to fit with the patient’s ability to understand. Also, they need to be both inside and out of the box thinkers. They must have the ability to solve problems even in stressful situations.
Find Out About Home Hemodialysis Jobs for Travel Nurses
If you meet all the requirements to work as a hemodialysis nurse, you can apply for work through New Directions Staffing. There you can find jobs available all throughout the country where you can work as a travel nurse helping out new patients in different cities.
