Promoting Patient and Nurse Safety in Acute Dialysis Units Through Advocacy and Collaboration

Odom, Barbara BSN, RN, CDN
Elliott, Stephanie MS, BSN, RN, CNN
Barrios, Corazon G. MSN, BSN, RN, CHN

NC PD 1.5 contact hours

Barbara Odom, BSN, RN, CDN, is an Acute Dialysis Nurse, DCH Regional Medical Center, Tuscaloosa, AL; American Nephrology Nurses Association (ANNA) National Director (2019-2021); and a member of ANNA’s Hazel Taylor Chapter.

Stephanie Elliott, MS, BSN, RN, CNN, is Director, Community Health Initiatives, and Director of Dialysis/Apheresis, Peninsula Regional Medical Center, Delmar, DE.

Corazon G. Barrios, MSN, BSN, RN, CHN, is Director, International Educators Group, Inc., Los Angeles, CA.

Statement of Disclosure: The authors reported no actual or potential conflict of interest in relation to this nursing continuing professional development (NCPD) activity.

Nephrology Nursing Journal 48(2):p 155-167, March-April 2021.

Odom, B., Elliott, S., & Barrios, C.G. (2021). Promoting patient and nurse safety in acute dialysis units through advocacy and collaboration. Nephrology Nursing Journal, 48(2), 155-167. https://doi.org/10.37526/1526-744X.2021.48.2.155.

Hospitals face the increasing challenge of balancing the need to provide quality care with that of being cost-effective. While guidelines and benchmarks for quality care exist in many areas within the hospital, those guidelines can be lacking for the acute (inpatient) dialysis setting. Nephrology nurses working in this setting may provide hemodialysis, peritoneal dialysis, continuous kidney replacement therapy, and apheresis treatments at the patient’s bedside and in an acute dialysis unit. This article discusses the need to promote patient and nurse safety in acute dialysis settings through advocacy and collaboration.