dialysis technicians;
standards; quality committee
HB 2359 requires dialysis technicians beginning January 1, 2004 to receive minimum training or obtain national certification as a condition of employment. The bill creates a dialysis quality committee to develop minimum training requirements for dialysis technicians and study dialysis issues as they relate to quality of care.
The Committee of the Whole adopted the Health Committee amendment that clarifies the duties of the dialysis quality committee, changes the reference to the national certification, allows current employees six months after the implementation date to meet the requirements and changes the repeal date from December 31, 2003 to July 1, 2004.
End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) occurs when a person’s kidney succumbs to an irreversible disease. ESRD requires that a person either receive a kidney transplant or onging dialysis for treatment.
According to the End-Stage Renal Dialysis Network, a non-profit corporation hired by the federal government to monitor dialysis statistics and quality of care issues, there are approximately 5,000 persons on dialysis in Arizona. Of those, 91 percent receive dialysis treatment at dialysis centers while the remaining population uses home dialysis. There are 71 for-profit, 11 non-profit dialysis and seven hospital-based dialysis facilities in Arizona.
Dialysis technicians are responsible for assisting, under supervision, in the care of patients undergoing dialysis treatment. The National Kidney Foundation states that most dialysis technicians undergo a six to twelve week training program as a condition of employment. The average salary for a dialysis technician may range from $5 – $10 at the entry level and $8 - $16 for experienced technicians. Most dialysis providers in Arizona conduct in-house training for technicians and some require them to become nationally certified.
The National Association of Nephrology Technicians/Technologists (NANT) endorses four different types of national certification for dialysis technicians. To become certified, a technician must meet minimum education and training requirements and pass an examination. The cost for an examination may range from $125 - $250. Certification renewal requires the payment of a fee every two or four years. Two of the certifications also require re-examination as a condition for renewal.
According to the Nephrology Nursing Certification Commission, as of October 4, 2001 there are five states that regulate dialysis technicians. Dialysis technicians are typically regulated by licensure, registration or certification with oversight by a nursing board or state health department.
There are currently no requirements for certification and training of dialysis technicians in Arizona. The Department of Health Services (DHS) licenses dialysis facilities.
HB 2359 requires that dialysis providers beginning on January 1, 2004 must use dialysis technicians who are either NANT certified or meet training requirements established in rule by DHS. A quality committee will develop these minimum training requirements. The quality committee will also be responsible for studying various dialysis issues as they relate to quality of care.