Dialysis nurses have the rare opportunity to truly get to know their patients and their circumstances deeply. We see them more frequently than other providers, and often know them for years. When we see a patient as a whole person, we are better able to make suggestions that are situationally appropriate and impact positive change in their lives. An important goal of care is for patients to have lives that are both functional and meaningful to them.
Objectives
- Describe how to reframe routine nursing assessments as opportunities to view each patient as a whole person with goals, needs/wants, relationships, etc. and build a long-term relationship and critical trust.
- Define and provide an example of “person-centered care.”
- Explain how social determinants of health can positively or negatively influence the challenges patients face.
- Restate the central themes of spoon theory and relate a lack of spoons to patient outcomes.
Accreditation for this course expires October 31, 2026.
Learners must complete the entire activity, receive a score of at least 80% on the post-test, and complete the course evaluation to be awarded contact hours. Learners can print or save their completion certificates and should keep them for a minimimum of 4 years. It is the responsibility of the learner to determine if these CE contact hours will be accepted by a particular licensing organization.
- Nurse Planner – Steffanie Gissal, BSN, RN
- Authors – Jennifer Ravert, RN and Dori Schatell, MS
This class is part of our Self-guided Program to Advance Renal Knowledge (SPARK) series of online CE learning + professional mentoring education classes for nurses and dialysis technicians. Our goals are to help dialysis nurses and technicians stay up-to-date with their training and certifications—and to attract new interest in nephrology as a career. This activity was funded, in part, by an unrestricted educational grant from Fresenius Medical Care.
