Job description for the Certified Nephrology Nurse: professional and legal aspects

As in many European countries, in Germany, practice and responsibilities of the Certified Nephrology Nurse (CNN) are still affected by a slowly changing structure in health care-providing institutions and the developing qualification process of the nurse working in the renal field. It is evident that parallel to the development and implementation of the European Core Curriculum the scope of practice for the CNN needed to be defined and published by a group of clinical experts working in the renal nursing field. A task force composed of members of the EDTNA-ERCA and the German National Renal Care Association was set up to tackle all aspects of the professional profile. A lawyer experienced and recognised in the medical field supported the group. In this paper information about the background and content of the document is presented, as are the core areas of practice and responsibilities and areas where junior nurses or helpers may work under the guidance of CNN, also the professional and legal aspects of the CNN profile are addressed, discussing possible benefits and problems for colleagues in practice when using and implementing the documents in different structures of renal care-providing organisations. This document was published and sent to all important national Bodies in Germany, having an immediate impact in units where areas of practice and responsibilities were undefined for certified renal nurses and nurses auxiliaries.