Dialysis Therapist

At the beginning of my shift each day, I have to make sure that the dialysis equipment is in proper working order, attach dialyzers and tubing to machines, mix dialysates according to the given formula and calibrate machinery to ensure optimum functionality.

Candidates should describe the steps they take to prevent any oversight in their duties. They should run through a checklist at the start of their day and ensure that all equipment is working, machines are calibrated to achieve optimal performance and dialysates are mixed according to a given formula, among other tasks.

Give concrete examples of difficult situations that actually happened at work. Then discuss what you did to solve the problem. Keep your answers positive (Even though it was difficult when Jane Doe quit without notice, we were able to rearrange the department workload to cover the position until a replacement was hired) and be specific. Itemize what you did and how you did it.

A patient on whom a dialysis procedure was being performed, nearly slipped due to his blood pressure dropping. Before the heart could give out, I performed immediate CPR on him, saving his life and enabling him to finish the procedure.

Dialysis treatment can be a frightening experience for a patient, as it involves drawing lots of blood through complex operational technology. Candidates should ensure that patients are kept informed of every stage in the treatment process, ensuring that they understand what the treatment does and how it benefits them.

☛ What are the vital signs?

☛ How often should you monitor vital signs? How would you know if there’s something wrong?

☛ What tools and equipment should a PCT know how to use?

☛ The PCT’s work is often demanding. How do you stay motivated?

☛ How would you go about performing an EKG test?

☛ What’s your experience preparing patients for surgery?

☛ Have you used any software as part of your job?

☛ What’s the biggest challenge you’ve faced in the past as PCT?

☛ Are you trained in phlebotomy/dialysis?

☛ Imagine that one of the patients is rude and uncooperative. How would you handle this?

☛ If a PCT of the next shift called in sick when you’re about to leave, what would you do?

☛ What would you do differently when caring for different age groups?

☛ Tell me about a time you discovered a safety hazard in your job. What did you do?

☛ Recall a time when you had to take care of a difficult patient. How did you manage?

☛ Have you ever received orders from nurse you didn’t agree with? What did you do?

☛ Describe a time when one of your patient’s condition suddenly took a turn for the worse. What did you do? Where you emotionally involved?

☛ Give me an example of a time you educated a patient in a health or safety matter

If possible, tell about a personal disappointment i.e. the early death of a parent, child or school friend. Believe it or not, it is okay to have not had a "greatest" disappointment.

One approach to answering this question is to analyze the key skills and strengths required for the position you are interviewing for and then come up with an honest shortcoming which is not essential.

Make sure that the answer to this question is positive, see to it that you stay calm while answering this question and you answer with confidence. Don’t talk about instances when you got irritated during a stressful situation. Talk about the times where you managed the situation well. Provide all the facts that you can. You can answer by saying ‘my superiors in my previous workplace, or college have told me that I manage stressful situations quite well. I stay calm during such situations and see to it the end goal is met. I am a good communicator and I communicate in a calm manner when faced with a stressful situation.

Along with attention to detail, candidates should list empathy and compassion as the most important qualities in a Dialysis Technician. The ability to communicate effectively with a patient is essential, and this requires an understanding of a patient's emotional concerns.

This question is asked in order to know the number of dependents you have. This question might seem to be a little too simple but it is an important question. Just be honest and tell them about the number of family members you have. Give them some details about the work each of your family members does also mention their educational qualifications. This question will help the interviewers understand your family background and will help them decide if you can relocate to another place if needed. It also helps the interviewers understand the remuneration that you are looking forward to.

We all know that money is one of the greatest motivators, we all want to be rich and that is the reason why we do a job. However, you are not supposed to say this, instead, talk about your dreams, talk about a role model who inspired you to take up nursing as a career. Your role model can be anybody, it can be one of your family members, your colleague or boss or it can be a famous personality.

It is clear that we all hate criticism of all kinds, however, you cannot say this to your interviewer. You will have to be positive while answering this question. Be honest and tell them that although criticism hurts, it helps in making us better eventually. Tell them how you analyze the reason behind the criticism and how you try to work on it. Admit that you are not perfect and tell the interviewer that criticism helps you learn and be a better person.

Talk about your hobbies and interests that you were associated with while you were in school and college. If you were good at sports, then talk about it in details, if you were into poetry, writing or painting talk about it too. Back up your answer by showing the certificates that you have received (if you have any). If you are good at sports, it means that you are a team player. If you are good at writing poetry, or if you are into painting it mostly means that you have a creative streak. So, don’t worry and simply talk about the activities that you engage in as hobbies.

In order to answer this question, you will have to do some research about the hospital. Understand the mission and vision of the hospital and then think about your answer. Emphasize your strengths that will be useful for the hospital. Make your answer suitable to the conditions in the hospital. Say for example you can answer by saying ‘I have always wanted to work in the pediatric department and your hospital’s pediatric department is one of the best in the state.’ Your answer can vary depending on the hospital you are being interviewed for. Understand the culture of the hospital and carve your answer accordingly.

Companies want to know how you work well with other people and you will need to say more than you enjoy working with others, which is the standard response.

Candidates should acknowledge the significance of safety and cleanliness in their job. They should adopt a formulaic approach to ensuring safety standards are met, which includes the sterilization of operating equipment before use.