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NNCC Presents...
Your Stories
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Past and Present Intertwined for a Rewarding Career in Dialysis
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Joseph Chacko, CCHT, DaVita, Miramar, FL
I can trace my career in dialysis back to 1988 when I was a high school freshman.
My baseball coach was a dialysis patient. He never complained, and as a 14-year-old, I wasn’t aware of how much he endured because he never showed that to us.
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Fast forward 26 years to 2014. After a successful teaching and coaching career myself, I decided to change paths and became a dialysis technician. Over the past 6 years, I have come to fully embrace my role, even with the difficulties that come with it. The overall satisfaction of helping to preserve life is so gratifying to me.
As for my high school coach, in 2018 he was still in the dugout teaching and coaching baseball at the same school! And, he stopped needing dialysis thanks to two transplants. His first transplant was from an anonymous donor, and the kidney lasted 10 years. He was then given the gift of life from his older brother’s donation, and his new kidney is still going strong!
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Here’s another testament to the value of your certification: The American Board of Nursing Specialties (ABNS) just released an excellent infographic that shows, among other overwhelmingly positive statistics, that two-thirds of adults have a favorable view of board-certified specialty nurses.
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Take the NNCC February Pop Quiz
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Dialysis nurses, do you want to take a quick, fun quiz to test your knowledge? The February “NNCC Question of the Month” is for you! The question is posted on the NNCC Facebook page. You’ll get a list of options, an explanation for the correct answer, and reference information. You can also go right to the question here. Good luck!
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HHS Extends COVID-19 Public Health Emergency
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The public health emergency surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic has been extended by the Department of Health and Human Services for another 90 days. The extension was effective as of January 21 and extends into April.
What does this mean for you and your certification? If you’re due to certify or recertify, this requirement will be waived during this period. For more details on the waiver and its impact on your dialysis certification, read the NNCC FAQs Regarding CMS Waiver and Certification Credentials.
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If you’re an NNCC certified nurse, nurse practitioner, or dialysis technician who has developed a quality improvement project that promotes optimal patient outcomes, consider applying for the NNCC Quality Improvement Award.
The winner receives $1,000, an engraved plaque, and national recognition by NNCC. Full details are available here . The deadline to apply is June 15, 2021.
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Stop by Our Virtual Exhibit Booth!
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NNCC will be exhibiting at several upcoming events. We look forward to ‘virtually’ seeing you there!
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Kidney Community to Biden: Prioritize Kidney Health Policies
More than 20 kidney care organizations have collaborated on a letter urging the Biden administration to advance policies for patients with kidney disease, placing special focus on health equity and the COVID-19 pandemic. (Healio, 2/15/2021)
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What’s Behind Racial Disparities in Kidney Disease?
Are we looking in the right places when it comes to identifying disparities in kidney care for the African American population? Nephrologist J. Kevin Tucker, MD, shares his opinion. (Harvard Health Publishing, 2/3/2021)
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