Ten things I wish I knew as a new peritoneal dialysis nurse

A nurse new to home peritoneal dialysis (PD) undoubtedly has to learn all the steps for continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) and automated peritoneal dialysis (APD) procedures, along with basics such as hand hygiene, ordering supplies, disposing of supplies, recognizing signs and symptoms of peritonitis. However, it is not always clear what else the new PD nurse needs to know in order to successfully teach a patient all that a patient (and care partner) starting home PD training need to know, as well as to support that patient overtime once the patient is performing PD at home. To answer this question, using a modified Delphi technique, members of the International Society for Peritoneal Dialysis (ISPD) Nursing and Allied Health Professional Committee identified the top 10 practice advice (tips) these nurse members thought all new home PD nurses should know and be aware of. For each tip, we justified the importance of the tip and how it could be implemented. The 10 tips were quite varied and highlighted both the breadth and the depth of knowledge a new PD nurse needs to acquire over and above basic knowledge and skills such as performing CAPD and APD and recognizing signs and symptoms of peritonitis. The members of the ISPD Nursing and Allied Health Professional Committee who compiled this list of the top 10 tips, believe that through understanding the importance, justification, and implementation of each of these tips, the nurse new to a home PD program can, in turn, appreciate more how to individualize home PD training sessions, improve the quality of life for patients on PD, as well as extend the patients’ time on PD.