Principles of Nursing in Kidney Care: Under the Auspices of Edtna/Erca

This textbook, endorsed by EDTNA/ERCA and ESNO, provides unique evidence-based knowledge about nursing in renal care and harmonises specialised understandings from various countries, to be implemented across numerous national health systems.

Renal care nursing is essential in order to promote and prevent renal health as well as detect and contribute to the care of renal disease. These complex tasks require specialised knowledge and training to ensure patient safety and positive outcomes in patient care. This book describes in detail the highest quality practices in different stages of the disease. Twenty-three chapters reflect evidence-based or consensus in practise, covering management and treatment in patient centred care procedures. Combining expert knowledge from many countries, this textbook can be used for teaching new staff in renal care as well as reviewing and updating renal care expertise.

Technological developments have significantly expanded in recent years. In this context renal nurses are responsible not only for individualised, comprehensive, and complex patient care, but also advanced technical skills such as haemodialysis treatment, which require close monitoring of patients to ensure safety. Infection prevention and control is vital throughout patient care. In addition, advanced renal nursing skills have been established for the assessment and management of renal disease.

The textbook is unique as in one single volume there is evidence, up to date and rigorous data describing different types of renal care therefore it is possible to concept a holistic vision of CKD patients as well as the nursing perspective.

Afra Masià-Plana, Registered Nurse since 2002, Psychologist, master’s in psychology and research, postgraduate on health management and PhD on quality of life in patients undergoing chronic haemodialysis (2019). She worked as a registered nurse since 2002 in Spain and 5 years in Brisbane (Australia) and specify on hemodialysis. Currently, she is a Scientific board member of EDTNA/ERCA, post-doc fellow lecturer at the faculty of nursing in the University of Girona, Spain. Also she is associate lecturer at the bachelor’s degree of physiotherapy from the University of Girona, Spain.
Anastasia Liossatou, Head Nurse at the Haemodialysis Unit, General Hospital of Kefalonia, Argostoli, Kefalonia, Greece has 25 years experience of which 22 in the nephrology field. Anastasia was trained as a nephrology nurse at the General Hospital of Papageorgiou, Thessaloniki, Greece. Her background is in haematology and hypertension while she was working at The Royal Liverpool University Hospital, Liverpool & St Georges Hospital, London, UK. She holds a master’s degree in Nursing from the University of Liverpool, UK and a Diploma in Education. Anastasia has been an EDTNA/ ERCA volunteer since 2003, serving the Association from various roles such as an EDTNA/ERCA Newsletter & Journal Co-Editor and the Chair of the EDTNA/ ERCA Scientific Programme Committee. In 2018, she joined the EDTNA/ERCA Executive Committee (EC), where she has undertaken the role of the Publications Coordinator. She has also contributed as an Editor and author to several guidebooks published by EDTNA/ERCA, and has presented many times at the EDTNA/ERCA conferences. Currently, Anastasia is undertaking her PhD at the Department of Nursing, The University of Peloponnese, Tripoli Greece.