We are excited to share updates on dialysis training, dialysis jobs, and the latest activities at DES. Please make sure to subscribe to our mailing list at dialysiseducationservices.com and stay tuned for further releases.
Despite the tsunami of events over the last year and a half, Dialysis Education Services has continued to educate, train, and produce the highest quality professionals in the industry. You are all superheroes in my book and your selfless desire to help in such an uncertain environment speaks to your bravery and compassion for humanity. I am truly honored to be a part of your professional journey and development.
The landscape of California vocational training programs has drastically changed recently. Internship/externship opportunities and capstones to education are scarce. Facility restrictions on visitors are tight, making in-person application and interview almost impossible. Companies are sometimes wary of newly graduated dialysis nurses and dialysis technicians. Many of the local schools offering dialysis training have not been able to sustain through COVID 19 restriction and have shut down. As a result, dialysis training and dialysis professionals are less available today than before COVID-19. Many dialysis companies are looking for trained employees and finding a lack of applicants for the first time in recent history. It is no surprise that these companies reach out to Dialysis Education Services regularly. Many large, medium, and small dialysis companies are looking to hire DES graduates as an alternative to hiring employees with no background. I encourage all job seekers with dialysis experience to Subscribe for our mailing list at dialysiseducationservices.com to receive more information on employment opportunities as they arise.
Aside from COVID-19 and all of the changes we have made as a result, there is much to be grateful for and excited for at DES. Our alumni, staff, and professional network continue to shine as a beacon of hope in a chronically ill world. The fruits of the last 20 years of my career are bountifully setting themselves up as leaders in the industry and influencers in the CKD community. As a result, our family is growing. Thank you all for everything that you do; the hard work, the warm hearts, open ears, and therapeutic presence.
Spotlight: New Employees
DES added two new team members this year, who both take pride in delivering a holistic and interdisciplinary education to our students. Please help us in welcoming Nicole Anderson, DNP, AGPNC-BC, and Daneen Baquing, BA, to the team. We are optimistic that their influence will add value to your professional development and ability to offer the highest quality care to your future patients.
Nicole Anderson, DNP, AGPNC-BC
Nicole Anderson, DNP, AGPNC-BC
It was 1995 when I first ventured into a dialysis clinic in Arizona and first became amazed by the dialysis process. My first role at that clinic was as a patient care technician, and it was a wonderful experience. Over the years, I have been able to work in patient care, bio-med, home therapies, and the vascular center. I have also been able to participate and present with organizations, including NANT and NKF. After working as a patient care technician, I continued my education to become an RN and a Nurse Practitioner. Currently, I practice in California rounding in outpatient dialysis centers. I also seek ways to stay involved and contribute to others in our nephrology community through education, compliance audits, and consulting clinics on how to better care for their patients. I hope to eventually have a small practice and continue to find ways to grow and contribute through education and quality care.
Quote: “Don’t look back; you’re not going that way!” ~ Mary Engelbreit
Daneen Baquing, BA
Daneen Baquing, BA
Daneen has experience creating training collaterals, policies and procedures, and simulation set-ups to orchestrate employee onboarding for extensive testing, vaccination, and telehealth operations throughout California. In addition, she has a wealth of knowledge in conducting interviews, human resources, start-up projects, hands-on training, and rapid assimilation.
In addition to her technical knowledge skills and abilities, she displays a service culture spanning back to her high school and college days. Daneen touched hundreds of families with her recognized contributions to OC Supervisor Andrew Do’s Neighborhood Meal Delivery Program and has tutored and mentored countless students at Bowers Museum: Kidseum for grades 1-8, as well as underclassmen during her studies at the University of California Irvine (UCI).
Spotlight: Star Student
Omar Eulloqui
“DES provides you with all the resources you need for a career in dialysis.”
- Omar Eulloqui, Graduating Class of October 2012
Omar displayed a passion for learning and an exemplary work ethic from his first day at Dialysis Education Services. Before he came to the school, he was in an entirely different field of work: home improvement sales. Yet, despite having minimal knowledge of dialysis when he started, he was an expert when he left.
While at DES, he stated that he learned a significant amount mainly due to Morales’s approachability and knowledgeability. Morales encouraged him to relentlessly strive for more and never settle for being a regular technician. He also praised the open-alley communication channel between former students and Morales, which remains open even after completing the program.
Once he began applying for work, it only took two weeks to get hired at a top dialysis facility, DaVita. Since then, he has found success as a Patient Care Technician and a trainer for new students and staff at his facility. He noticed a distinct difference in preparedness between students who completed the hemodialysis training program at DES versus those who studied at other trade schools.
Last year, he was recognized by DaVita as a top PCT of 2020. He plans to shift to the educational side of dialysis by pursuing a position as a vascular access regional manager in the future.
Omar, we wish you all the best and cannot wait to see what the future holds for you!
Graduation Announcement
We are proud to announce that our most recent class completed the Hemodialysis Training Program on August 27, 2021. Thank you to the students for giving us the opportunity to help you achieve your dreams.
Congratulations to this graduating class! We are confident in your success as you continue your journeys in the world of dialysis!
October Holidays
11 – Columbus Day/Indigenous Peoples’ Day
31 – Halloween
Image courtesy of Scott Air Force Base (2015)
National Hispanic Heritage Month
National Hispanic Heritage Month runs annually from September 15 to October 15 to celebrate the histories, cultures, and contributions to our country of those who came from the Caribbean, Central American, Mexico, South America, and Spain, as well as their ancestors. The anniversaries of the independence of Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Mexico, and Chile fall during this month-long celebration.
Hispanic Americans are 1½ times more likely to have kidney failure compared to other Americans. Researchers do not fully understand why Hispanics are at a higher risk for kidney disease. However, 10% of Hispanic Americans have diabetes, which is the leading cause of kidney disease. High blood pressure, diet, obesity, and access to healthcare may also play a role.
- National Kidney Foundation 2021
Here are a few things we encourage you to do to partake in celebrating this month:
- Get a kidney screening.
- Share your knowledge of increased risk in the Hispanic community with your friends and family.
- Look for and support local Hispanic-owned businesses and restaurants in your area!
DES is proudly Hispanic-owned and operated since 2009.
Sam Treviño, Urine Inspiration
Every meeting that you attend,
every email that you send,
every mile that you drive,
doesn’t help me survive.
YOU compel me to thrive.
YOU are my inspiration!!
The poem above is how Sam ends each speech that he delivers.
His message is clear: you are more than what life throws at you. Treviño is a former dialysis patient and kidney transplant recipient. Rather than letting his experiences negatively affect him, he allowed them to shape him into a patient advocate and motivational speaker.
In my brief conversation with him, I found Sam to be very personable. He cracked a few jokes, kept the conversation light, and told me that the most important thing is to choose to live with whatever diseases present themselves.
To learn more about Sam and his message, visit urineinspiration.com.
Class Focuses and Goals
As we enter the fourth quarter of 2021, here is a reminder of our focuses and goals. Your follow-through with each of these items is essential to your entrance and sustainment in the dialysis industry.
1. Didactic studies with at least an 80% on the final exam
The state and national exams typically have a 75% minimum passing score. At DES, we hold our minimum slightly higher to ensure a good probability of passing a state or national certification exam on the first try.
2. Competency training in the simulation lab
DES has the largest training lab of any private program in California. Your time in the lab will prepare you for the real world and processes you will face in a dialysis facility. Practice, practice, and practice some more.
3. Resume building
It is inevitable that we will all have to present ourselves on paper before our chance at a face-to-face interview and impression. Getting an early start on this and submitting it to DES staff for advice and fine-tuning will put you ahead of the game so that once you graduate, you can start to apply immediately.
4. Relationship building
Networking is a key component of professional growth. It starts in class with your classmates and instructors in the impression you leave. The request for reference should be considerate of the impression left for the person referencing. Some of your classmates are sure to become leaders in the field and their references will be invaluable someday. We strongly recommend your participation as a member of professional groups such as NANT (www.dialysistech.net), and BONENT (www.bonent.org) to continue your education and build relationships that will be supportive for the rest of your career.
Follow our social media profiles to stay connected, get updates, and build on your personal network within the dialysis community:
