The presentation on dialysis nursing has opened my eyes to how important it is to be mindful of my patient’s kidneys. The knowledge of the ESRD population will help me gain a better understanding on how much the kidneys truly affect every other body system. The comorbidities that are included when taking account the risk of kidney disease aligns with other major diseases that kill millions of Americans everyday, such as heart disease and diabetes. Primary interventions, such as educating people on better diet, exercise regimes and the importance of checking glucose levels and compliance to taking prescribed insulin can decrease or stop the onset of kidney failure. Education on proper hydration and bathroom habits is also crucial. Screening is another way that can be helpful in reducing the progression of kidney disease. Prior to the lecture, I wasn’t too familiar with what a dialysis/ nephrology nurse does and focuses on so I came into the class with an open mind. I was familiar with patients who were suffering from CKD in the hospital through my clinicals. I frequently saw the diagnosis on my patient’s chart, but I wasn’t aware fully of what it meant for the patient overall. Many of them had chronic issues with high blood pressure, kidney stones, infections and utis. It was interesting to see how much the kidneys actually affect the other parts of the system that can contribute to things like high blood pressure which can lead to heart failure and so on.
