Dialysis Technician Training in Massachusetts

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health is the state entity that is responsible for monitoring official dialysis technician training and certification requirements in Massachusetts. The state has created some general guidelines for the jobs a technician can perform. A technician must work under the direct supervision of a registered nurse or physician in order to provide patient care. The specific tasks which are acceptable for a technician to perform include the following:


  1. Starting and ending dialysis
  2. Maintenance and use of dialysis equipment
  3. Surveillance of the patient’s condition during dialysis
  4. Administration of prescribed agents for blood clotting regulation

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) are the federal departments that are responsible for reimbursing dialysis facilities for the majority of the costs associated with dialysis treatment. A few years ago, the CMS began the process of adopting new reimbursement language that requires dialysis technicians to complete a training program and successfully pass a state or national certification examination. Because most facilities depend on federal funding in order to remain open, nearly all require their technicians to comply with the new federal regulations.

CMS regulations 494.140 (e)(1-4) require that the patient care technician training and certification requirements include the following guidelines:

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

MassachusettsMost dialysis facilities provide the training needed for technicians to carry out their responsibilities each day. They also provide the instruction that is needed to pass a certification exam. While the CMS requires dialysis technicians to finish a certifying exam within 18 months of hire, some states do not have the same law. Technicians can be certain that they are in compliance with state and federal law by becoming certified within the first year or so following the date of hire.

The most common national certification exams include:

  1. The Nephrology Nursing Certification Commission (NNCC)
  2. The Board of Nephrology Examiners Nursing and Technology (BONENT)
  3. The National Nephrology Certification Organization, Inc. (NNCO)

The government has actively monitored the quality of dialysis treatment in the United States for many years. In 1978, Congress formed eighteen non-profit networks that were given the responsibility of overseeing dialysis facilities in 1 to 6 states. Within their jurisdiction, networks collect data, analyze statistics, promote comprehensive care, and act as a resource for patients and employees. Massachusetts is part of Network 1 along with Connecticut, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont.

Massachusetts Dialysis Technician Training and Career Links

  1. American Renal Associates
  2. Berkshire Medical Center
  3. Brigham and Women’s Hospital
  4. Children’s Hospital
  5. Davita
  6. Dialysis Clinic, Inc.
  7. Fresenius Medical Care
  8. Innovative Health Services
  9. Lemuel Shattuck Hospital
  10. Lowell General Hospital
  11. Martha’s Vineyard Hospital
  12. Massachusetts General Hospital
  13. Nantucket Cottage Hospital
  14. St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center
  15. Saint Vincent Hospital
  16. UMass Memorial Health Care

State Contact Information

Massachusetts State SealPhone:          (617) 624-6000
Email:           Contact Form

250 Washington Street, 6th Floor     Boston, MA 02108

Web Site:     Massachusetts Department of Public Health

National Network:   Network of New England


6 thoughts on “Dialysis Technician Training in Massachusetts

  1. marie h sanon

    I started hemodialysis training years ago in Florida and I never had the chance to finish it now I would like to persuade it. Can you kindly send me some info how to register for classes. Thank you in advance.

  2. Violet Kinuthia

    I would like to be a dialysis technician and am looking for an in-house training program in Southern Massachusetts.

    1. Steve Post author

      Violet,

      The best way to find in-house dialysis technician training programs is to contact facilities in your area to find out if they have any opportunities available. We have linked to several major organizations operating in Massachusetts above this comment section.

    1. Steve Post author

      Mwamba,

      We usually encourage aspiring technicians to contact potential employers before enrolling in a dialysis technician certificate program. There are no laws that require such programs and many employers provide their own in-house training for those who are new to the profession. We have provided links to employers in Connecticut on this page for your convenience.

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