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Dialysis Technician Training in Massachusetts

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health is the state entity that is responsible for monitoring official dialysis technician training and certification requirements in Massachusetts. The state has created some general guidelines for the jobs a technician can perform. A technician must work under the direct supervision of a registered nurse or physician in order to provide patient care. The specific tasks which are acceptable for a technician to perform include the following:

1. Starting and ending dialysis
2. Maintenance and use of dialysis equipment
3. Surveillance of the patient’s condition during dialysis
4. Administration of prescribed agents for blood clotting regulation

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) are the federal departments that are responsible for reimbursing dialysis facilities for the majority of the costs associated with dialysis treatment. A few years ago, the CMS began the process of adopting new reimbursement language that requires dialysis technicians to complete a training program and successfully pass a state or national certification examination. Because most facilities depend on federal funding in order to remain open, nearly all require their technicians to comply with the new federal regulations.

CMS regulations 494.140 (e)(1-4) require that the patient care technician training and certification requirements include the following guidelines:

1. Meet all applicable state requirements for:
   • Education
   • Training
   • Credentialing
   • Competency
   • Standards of practice
   • Certification
   • Licensure
2. Have a High School Diploma or equivalency
3. Complete an approved training program that includes the following subjects:
   • Principles of dialysis
   • Care of patients with kidney failure
   • Possible complications of dialysis
   • Water treatment and dialysate preparation
   • Infection control
   • Safety
   • Dialyzer reprocessing
4. Certification by a State or National Program within 18 months of employment

Most dialysis facilities provide the training needed for technicians to carry out their responsibilities each day. They also provide the instruction that is needed to pass a certification exam. While the CMS requires dialysis technicians to finish a certifying exam within 18 months of hire, some states do not have the same law. Technicians can be certain that they are in compliance with state and federal law by becoming certified within the first year or so following the date of hire.

The most common national certification exams include:

1. The Nephrology Nursing Certification Commission (NNCC)
   • Certified Clinical Hemodialysis Technician (CCHT) Exam
2. The Board of Nephrology Examiners Nursing and Technology (BONENT)
   • Certified Hemodialysis Technician (CHT) Exam
3. The National Nephrology Certification Organization, Inc. (NNCO)
   • Certified in Clinical Nephrology Technology (CCNT) Exam
   • Certified in Biomedical Nephrology Technology (CBNT) Exam

The government has actively monitored the quality of dialysis treatment in the United States for many years. In 1978, Congress formed eighteen non-profit networks that were given the responsibility of overseeing dialysis facilities in 1 to 6 states. Within their jurisdiction, networks collect data, analyze statistics, promote comprehensive care, and act as a resource for patients and employees. Massachusetts is part of Network 1 along with Connecticut, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont.

Massachusetts Dialysis Technician Training and Career Links

1. American Renal Associates
2. Berkshire Medical Center
3. Brigham and Women’s Hospital
4. Children’s Hospital
5. Davita
6. Dialysis Clinic, Inc.
7. Fresenius Medical Care
8. Innovative Health Services
9. Lemuel Shattuck Hospital
10. Lowell General Hospital
11. Martha’s Vineyard Hospital
12. Massachusetts General Hospital
13. Nantucket Cottage Hospital
14. St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center
15. Saint Vincent Hospital
16. UMass Memorial Health Care

State Contact Information

Phone:          (617) 624-6000
Email:           Contact Form

250 Washington Street, 6th Floor     Boston, MA 02108

Web Site:     Massachusetts Department of Public Health

National Network:   Network of New England