BONENT CHT study guide
BONENT CHT · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The Certified Hemodialysis Technologist/Technician (CHT) credential is issued by BONENT, the Board of Nephrology Examiners Nursing and Technology, a certification body that marked 50 years of dedication to dialysis in 2024. The CHT is one of several BONENT certifications listed alongside the CHN, CHBT, CPDN and CHWS, and it is aimed at technicians and technologists who deliver direct hemodialysis care and want independent verification of their knowledge beyond employer-based training. The BONENT CHT study guide has 5 sections and about 1,423 words.
01Clinical Practice and Patient Care
Before treatment, verify patient identity and orders, obtain pre-dialysis weight and vital signs, and assess the vascular access for thrill, bruit, warmth, redness, swelling, or drainage. Review symptoms, medications, and fluid gain.
286 words, about 1 min02Water Treatment and Dialysis Delivery Systems
Water treatment typically includes backflow prevention, a softener, carbon tanks, reverse osmosis (RO), ultraviolet light or ultrafilters, and a distribution loop. The softener removes calcium and magnesium by ion exchange and must be regenerated with brine.
252 words, about 1 min03Dialysis Machine and Equipment Operation
Verify machine disinfection status, install and prime the extracorporeal circuit, and confirm dialysate conductivity and temperature before connecting the patient. Know the alarms: arterial pressure (high suggests access or needle problem/occlusion; low suggests hypovolemia or pump-speed mismatch), venous pressure (high suggests infiltration, kink, or clotting; low suggests disconnection), transmembrane pressure (TMP), blood leak detector, air detector, and conductivity/temperature alarms.
237 words, about 1 min04Infection Control and Safety
Use standard precautions for every patient: hand hygiene before and after contact, gloves for blood or body-fluid contact, gown/mask/eye protection when splashes are possible, safe sharps handling, and immediate cleanup of spills with an approved disinfectant. Gloves do not replace hand hygiene.
212 words, about 1 min05Professional Standards, Education and Regulatory Issues
Know your scope of practice as a dialysis technician and the limits set by state law and facility policy. Technicians commonly perform cannulation, machine setup, monitoring, and documentation, but they do not independently diagnose, prescribe, change the dialysis prescription, or administer IV medications without authorization.
436 words, about 2 min