CCHT study plan
CCHT · Give each week a clear focus.
8 weeks · About 7 hours per week
Patient Care and Assessment
Map the normal range, clinical meaning, and one nursing action for each abnormal value of BUN, creatinine, potassium, calcium, phosphorus, albumin, and hematocrit
Explain the mechanism and first-line response for intradialytic hypotension, muscle cramps, nausea/vomiting, headache, and disequilibrium syndrome
Calculate ultrafiltration goal, ultrafiltration rate, and estimated dry weight adjustment from supplied patient data
Sequence the pre-treatment, intradialytic, and post-treatment assessments, including access assessment and orthostatic vital signs
Your checkpoint
One-page patient assessment reference sheet plus 10 self-written case vignettes with answer rationales
Dialysis Procedures and Equipment
Trace blood and dialysate flow through the extracorporeal circuit and state the function of each component
Compare arteriovenous fistula, arteriovenous graft, and central venous catheter care, including cannulation technique, needle gauge, and site rotation
Explain the cause and correct response for at least eight common machine alarms, including air detector, arterial pressure, venous pressure, transmembrane pressure, conductivity, and blood leak
Rehearse machine setup, pre-treatment safety checks, and rinse/recirculation steps aloud or on a trainer
Your checkpoint
Annotated circuit diagram plus an alarm-response table listing alarm, cause, immediate action, and prevention
Water Treatment and Dialysate Preparation
Sequence the water treatment train, including backwash, carbon adsorption, softening, reverse osmosis, deionization, and distribution loop, and name the contaminant each step removes
State the accepted limit and the test method for chlorine/chloramine, hardness, conductivity, and bacterial/endotoxin counts
Describe how dialysate is proportioned and monitored for conductivity, pH, temperature, and sodium variation
Outline disinfection schedules and culture/monitoring frequency for water systems and dialysate
Your checkpoint
Water treatment flow diagram with a companion table of test method, limit, and testing frequency
Infection Control and Patient Safety
Apply standard and transmission-based precautions to dialysis-specific scenarios, including hepatitis B surface antigen positivity and multidrug-resistant organism colonization
Describe catheter care bundles, exit-site assessment, and vascular access infection prevention practices
Differentiate single-use from reused dialyzers and explain disinfection and reprocessing requirements for machines and supplies
Explain cohorting, isolation, and healthcare-associated infection reporting expectations in a dialysis unit
List vaccination and screening recommendations for dialysis patients, including hepatitis B, influenza, pneumococcal, and tuberculosis screening
Your checkpoint
Infection control worksheet covering 12 clinical scenarios, each answered with the correct precaution level and rationale
Professional Practice, Education, and Role Responsibilities
Distinguish the scope of practice, delegation boundaries, and reporting lines of the technician, registered nurse, and physician
Explain informed consent, patient rights, confidentiality, and the appropriate response when a patient refuses treatment
Write objective documentation entries for a treatment, an incident, and an adverse event
Identify certification renewal, continuing education, and professional development requirements
Your checkpoint
Written responses to 8 legal, ethical, and professional scenarios, each with a short justification grounded in scope-of-practice principles
Patient Care and Assessment & Dialysis Procedures and Equipment & Infection Control and Patient Safety
Work through 15 integrated scenarios that combine assessment findings, machine data, and infection control decisions
Reconstruct the complete treatment timeline from pre-assessment through post-treatment documentation without notes
Apply the SBAR format to escalate a deteriorating patient and identify the correct handoff recipient
Your checkpoint
Timed 40-question self-written mixed quiz, scored at 80 percent or higher
Patient Care and Assessment & Dialysis Procedures and Equipment & Water Treatment and Dialysate Preparation & Infection Control and Patient Safety & Professional Practice, Education, and Role Responsibilities
Re-teach the two lowest-scoring domains from the week 6 quiz using the reference sheets
Rebuild flashcards for every missed item and rehearse them until two consecutive passes reach full recall
Solve 30 calculation problems covering ultrafiltration, dialysate mixing ratios, and weight-based dosing
Your checkpoint
Revised study sheets plus a calculation worksheet completed at 90 percent accuracy or higher
Patient Care and Assessment & Dialysis Procedures and Equipment & Water Treatment and Dialysate Preparation & Infection Control and Patient Safety & Professional Practice, Education, and Role Responsibilities
Complete two full-length timed practice exams and review every missed item to the underlying concept
Recite the 50 highest-yield facts from memory, organized by domain
Confirm test-day logistics, timing strategy, and a rest plan for the final 48 hours
Your checkpoint
Final practice exam scored at 85 percent or higher with a written error log of every missed item
Milestones
Week 2: Explain the full extracorporeal circuit and respond correctly to 8 alarm scenarios without notes
Week 4: Score at least 75 percent on a 25-question self-made quiz covering domains 1 through 4
Week 6: Score at least 80 percent on the timed 40-question integrated quiz and complete the SBAR handoff unaided
Week 8: Score at least 85 percent on two consecutive full-length practice exams with all errors logged and reviewed