Your healthcare team is made up of people who help you manage your kidney treatment. They work with you to:
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Talk about your treatment choices
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Teach you how to live with kidney failure
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Help with any questions or worries
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Support you
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Help you feel your best
The members of your team
Here are some people you might meet on your healthcare team:
Nephrologist. A doctor who treats kidney problems. They decide what treatment is best for you and check how it’s working.
Primary care doctor. A doctor who helps you stay healthy. They also treat you when you are sick or have long-term health problems.
Advanced practitioner. This can be a nurse practitioner (NP) or a physician assistant (PA). They work with your kidney doctor or primary care doctor.
Registered nurse (RN). A nurse who works with your doctors. They help manage your care and teach you about your treatment. Some nurses also give dialysis treatments.
Dialysis technician. A person who helps give you dialysis treatment.
Surgeon. A doctor who does surgery. They may place a dialysis access or do a kidney transplant.
Dietitian or nutritionist. A person who teaches you which foods and drinks are good for you and which ones to avoid.
Social worker. A person who helps with paperwork, insurance, work, family, and stress.
Pharmacist. A person who knows all about your medicines. They teach you how and when to take them and what side effects to watch for.
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