How to Become a Certified Hemodialysis Nurse?

The Certified Hemodialysis Nurse (CHN) credential is one of the three certifications offered and regulated by the Board of Nephrology Examiners Nursing and Technology (BONENT). Hemodialysis nurses assist patients in kidney failure, through dialysis treatments. By becoming certified your patients and peers will know that you have the knowledge to attain this credential, and have earned the respect that comes with it. After attaining a CHN it is quite common to also be rewarded with higher pay and additional responsibility on the job.

Instructions

Prerequisites

1. Possess an active Registered Nurse (RN), Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN), or Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN) credential. Before seeking the CHN certification, you must have a current RN, LPN, or LVN license.

2. Attain required experience in an End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) facility. To fulfill this prerequisite, an RN must have at least one year experience at an ESRD facility. An LPN or LVN will need to have two years of nursing experience in an ESRD facility.

3. Complete and submit your application with two reference letters. To begin the certification process you will need to complete you application to sit for the examination. In the application package you will need to include two letters of recommendation. One of the letters of recommendation will need to be from your immediate supervisor, and the other from someone else in a professional capacity (such as a peer or mentor in nephrology). Once your application package has been reviewed and accepted you will receive a confirmation letter. You will need to take the letter with you to your examination. If you registered for the paper exam, it will have the testing location listed; and if you registered for the computer based testing, it will contain your test number, user name, and password.

Examination and Certification:

1. Study for your certification exam. The examination covers four basic areas, Supervision/Administration 10%, Dialysis and Related Issues 74.5%, Professional Development 5.5% and Environmental Control 10%. The Candidate Handbook, which contains a list of suggested study materials and a detailed outline of the testing areas, is available on the BONENT website.

2. Take and pass the certification exam. The examination consists of 150 multiple choice questions, which you will be given up to three hours to complete. After you have been approved to take your exam and have studied enough to be prepared for it, you will need to sit for this extensive examination. Once you complete your exam, you can expect to receive your official results by mail in three to four weeks.

3. Maintain your certification. Your certification will be valid for four years from the date you pass the exam. To recertify, you will need to either complete 40 hours of continuing education credits or retake the examination. If you allow your exam to expire, you will need to either retake the exam; or provide a written explanation for the reason and incur a financial penalty for the lapsed time.

Resources

• Board of Nephrology Examiners Nursing and Technology