renal services
Dietitian
The kidney dietitian provides direction and tips on what to eat & drink, and which types of food to avoid. You will probably see a dietitian as soon as you you start attending the kidney service. She will advise you on how to plan your healthy kidney diet. If this does not happen you could ask to see one. Expect to remain in very close contact with your dietitian throughout the course of your treatment. He or she is an important part of your healthcare team.

Specialist Nurse
You will meet a number of different nurses during your attendancies to the kidney unit.

kidney nurses have taken specialised courses and are conversant about all the different aspects of kidney care. They may specialise in different treatments such as transplant, haemodialysis, or peritoneal dialysis, and work in different departments within the kidney unit, including the outpatient clinics. There might also be nurses in the kidney unit who are not specialists, but who work closely with the kidney nurses.

You may also meet healthcare supporters and student nurses working under the supervision of the certified nurses. Many patients with kidney failure carry out their treatment at home. Home nurses are specialists who visit you at home, assist you with your treatment, and link you and your family with your family doctor, district nurse, and other members of the kidney team.

kidney specialist
Nephrologists are consultant doctors who specialise in kidney disease and kidney failure. They are the most senior members of the kidney team.

If you have kidney failure, a kidney specialist will be responsible for planning your medical treatment. These consultants have a team of other kidney doctors working with them, so it is unlikely you will see the kidney specialist every time you attend the unit. It is a good idea to ask any doctors you see at the unit to tell you who they are and how they fit into the team.

kidney administrator
The kidney administrator is responsible for helping with ongoing patient management and administration. This may involve ensuring you have adequate supplies at home if you are a home-therapy patient, or helping you organise a trip.

kidney counsellor
A kidney counsellor is trained to help patients deal with the emotional and psychological aspects of living with kidney failure. You can ask your doctor or kidney nurse to arrange for you to meet the kidney counsellor in your unit. It can be helpful to get to know this person. Know that kidney failure requires life-long adjustment. Every member of the kidney team has a role in your well-being. The counsellor is the one to whom you can talk about your most personal problems.

kidney social worker
A kidney social worker assists with the practical aspects of living with kidney failure, such as informing you of benefits to which you may be entitled, helping you fill out forms to claim benefits and helping you solve housing or job problems. In some kidney units the kidney social worker is also your resource for support and counselling. Your doctor or kidney nurse can make arrangements for you to meet the kidney social worker.

Transplant coordinator/nurse
You may be considering a kidney transplant now or in the future. A person known either as a transplant coordinator or nurse can talk to you about what having a transplant means and help you to make an informed decision about whether or not you want one.

For more information contact your local kidney unit