BONENT/Examination/CHT

Certified Hemodialysis Technologist/Technician (CHT)
Examination Content
The BONENT Certified Hemodialysis Technologist/Technician examination measures technical proficiency in certain skills and general areas of knowledge. The examination tests the following five major domains of practice and tasks performed in the scope of hemodialysis technology:

The examination has a three-hour time limit and consists of 150 multiple-choice questions.

New 2008 ESRD Federal Regulations
The new ESRD Rules & Regulations approved by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) have been submitted to the Office of the Federal Register for publication and have recently been published with comments in the Federal Register (4-15-08). It is currently a 116-page document (see CMS ESRD Final Rules). The rules that apply to certification start on page 20425.

Policy & Timeline
Here is the exact wording related to the timeline for Dialysis Technicians to have certification:

“Patient care dialysis technicians (must) be certified under a state certification program or a national commercially available certification program as follows:

For newly-employed patient care technicians – (certified) within 18 months of being hired as a dialysis patient care technician.
For patient care technicians employed on or before October 14, 2008 - (certified) within 18 months after such date." (This means that you will have until April 14, 2010 to be certified.)
- BONENT Certified Members:
  NOTE: If you are a patient care technician currently employed in dialysis and have a current BONENT certification, you will NOT need to re-take the exam. But, BONENT will not be able to verify your certification to employers or state boards unless your annual certification fees are up-to-date.

Sign the Petition to Support Medicare Program Improvements
We ask for your support in signing the Kidney Care Community Petition. The petition urges Congress to pass Medicare program improvements this year.

As you know, more than 26 million Americans suffer from chronic kidney disease (CKD). If untreated, it can and does lead to kidney failure. With the number of individuals with kidney failure expected to double in the next ten years, it is important that Congress pass Medicare program improvements in 2008. The impact of kidney disease in our country is growing, so now is the time to enact quality-oriented changes and promote greater awareness about this disease.

Please tell Congress to take action this year by adding your signature to the Kidney Care Community Petition Today!

Simply click here to read the petition and then follow the directions provided to add your support to this important cause. We encourage our supporters to choose BONENT as the referral organization on the drop down menu at the bottom of the sign-up form.

Legislative Mandates for Certification
In several states, BONENT certification or state certification is required for technologists/technicians who perform certain patient care procedures. It is incumbent upon all applicants to familiarize themselves with any state licensure requirements for the state in which they intend to be certified. For instance, Ohio certification requires that all applicants have completed one year of patient care prior to the administration of the examination. Other states may have similar requirements.