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Dialysis Technician Training in North Dakota

The North Dakota Board of Nursing is the agency that is responsible for establishing dialysis technician training and certification requirements in North Dakota. The Board has adopted a policy that recognizes dialysis treatment as more than a technical skill or procedure. Registered nurses are required to supervise the performance of technicians to ensure that the highest quality of patient care is being delivered. A dialysis technician is allowed to perform the following tasks:

• Rinse and prime dialyzers
• Install all required dialyzer tubing
• Test and set monitors and alarms
• Assist in data collection
• Inspect access sites
• Perform cannulation of peripheral access sites
• Obtain blood specimens via access sites
• Administer local anesthetic, heparin, and normal saline
• Measure and adjust blood flow rates
• Adjust fluid removal rates
• Monitor and record treatment parameters and make adjustments
• Administer CPR
• Initiate and discontinue dialysis
• Establish hemostasis at the access site

In addition to state requirements, a dialysis technician in North Dakota must comply with federal regulations adopted by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). The CMS is currently responsible for reimbursing dialysis clinics for approximately 80% of the costs associated with delivery of care. The federal takeover of dialysis reimbursement is the result of the high costs of the procedure coupled with the fact that the majority of dialysis patients are unable to afford the care they need. Individuals who develop end stage renal failure are generally allowed to become eligible for Medicare benefits due to their condition.

CMS regulations 494.140 (e)(1-4) establish that patient care technician training and certification requirements must address the following standards:

1. Meet all state requirements for:
   • Education
   • Training
   • Credentialing
   • Competency
   • Standards of practice
   • Certification
   • Licensure
2. Have a High School Diploma or GED
3. Complete an approved program that includes the following:
   • 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

It is customary for dialysis technicians to complete a training program and work for awhile prior to completing a certification exam. Most facilities have developed their own training protocol and will provide the necessary instruction for full compliance with all regulations. Technicians should learn about certification options before they seek employment. Employers may require technicians to complete a specific exam or may allow a technician to select whichever exam they wish.

Widely approved national certification organizations 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

Every state is included in one of eighteen non-profit networks established by Congress in 1978 to monitor the quality of care being delivered in dialysis facilities across the United States. Each network keeps track of 1 to 6 states where they are tasked with data collection, statistical analysis, rehabilitation promotion, patient education, and personnel support. North Dakota is a member of Renal Network 11 along with South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan.

North Dakota Dialysis Technician Training and Career Links

1. Altru Health System
2. Davita
3. Mercy Hospital
4. Sanford Health
5. St. Alexius Medical Center
6. The Kidney Institute of North Dakota
7. Trinity Health

State Contact Information

Phone:          (701) 328-9777
Fax:               (701) 328-9785
Email:           Contact Form

919 S 7th St, Ste 504     Bismarck, ND 58504-5881

Web Site:     North Dakota Board of Nursing

National Network:   Network 11