Saturday, January 16, 2021

How Does a Hemodialysis Machine Work?



New Jersey resident Susanne Marie Capozzi is a staff RN for DaVita Dialysis at St. Joseph’s Regional Medical Center. With a graduate degree in nursing from Felician College, she is both a registered professional nurse and certified medical surgical nurse. As part of her work, Susanne Capozzi cares for chronic hemodialysis patients.

Hemodialysis is a necessary procedure for patients with advanced kidney failure. The process diverts blood out of the body to be filtered by a dialysis machine, and then returns it to the circulatory system. It involves inserting two needles into the patient: one for blood leaving the body and one for the blood entering. The flow rate of the blood entering the machine is controlled by a pressure monitor working in tandem with a pump.

The core of the dialysis machine consists of a number of membranes surrounded by a fluid called dialysate. The membranes are in the form of tiny mesh tubes whose functions mimic that of the capillaries in a kidney. The dialysate consists of electrolytes, water and salt in proportions specific to the patient’s needs; it balances the electrolytes in the blood and helps draw out the toxins.

As blood passes through the tubes, its toxins and waste filter out into the dialysate through tiny pores in the membranes. The used dialysate is then pumped out of the machine; alongside, the cleaned blood is pumped back into the body. 

Tuesday, December 22, 2020

Dialysis - Benefits, Types, and Indications


The recipient of a BS in nursing from Felician College, Susanne Capozzi is a registered nurse with Davita Dialysis in Paterson, New Jersey. In this role, Susanne Marie Capozzi provides care for patients who are undergoing chronic hemodialysis.

Dialysis is a medical treatment that removes toxic substances and/or excess fluids from the body. It performs functions that mimic those of healthy kidneys, making it a suitable intervention (long- or short-term) for kidney failure.

There are two types of dialysis: peritoneal dialysis (where a special catheter is inserted in a patient's abdomen to filters the blood through a membrane called peritoneum) and hemodialysis (which involves implanting a special device called hemodialyzer to remove waste and excess fluid from the blood). Depending on the state of a patient's kidneys, a nephrologist (kidney specialist) determines which type of dialysis is appropriate. The procedure may also be indicated when there is an urgent need to get rid of ingested toxins from a patient's blood, usually in children.

No form of dialysis can perform all kidney functions. However, the procedure can help a patient with permanent kidney damage survive until they receive a kidney transplant. It also can prolong the life of a patient with kidney failure without a transplant.

Tuesday, August 18, 2020

Benefits of Membership with the American Nurses Association

A resident of Lodi, New Jersey, Susanne Marie Capozzi is a registered professional nurse and an ANCC-certified medical surgical nurse currently serving at Paterson, New Jersey-based Davita Dialysis, where she provides patients with dietary advice and oversees their hemodialysis treatments. Susanne Marie Capozzi holds a professional membership with the American Nurses Association (ANA).


Founded in 1896, the ANA exists to support four million registered nurses while enhancing the nursing profession and the American health care system. Members of the ANA gain access to multiple personal benefits, including free financial wellness tools offered through the Prudential Financial Wellness Program. ANA members are also eligible to have free consultations with licensed advocates from Anchor Health Administrators (AHA) to learn more about selecting insurance coverage for long-term care and final expense needs.

ANA members receive travel discounts through BookingCommunity, an ANA partner organization that enables members to enjoy hotel rate reductions of up to 70 percent while also granting them access to deals on hotels and resorts around the world. Since ANA partners with CommonBond, a renowned student lender, ANA members also save money by participating in student loan refinancing programs designed to help nurses save on the cost of interest accrued on their federal and private loans.