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A renal transplant coordinator is typically a registered nurse who walks a patient through their entire
renal transplant process. The coordinator is responsible for all of the communication that goes on among the patients, doctors, clinics and hospitals. The first thing a renal transplant coordinator needs to do is to schedule the patient for their pre-transplant testing. Once this has been scheduled, the coordinator will begin the search to locate a donor kidney. They will often locate a few different donors and then they will begin the testing for donor compatibility. Once a compatible donor has been found, the renal transplant coordinator will contact the patient to schedule the renal transplant surgery. Once the renal transplant surgery has been performed, the coordinator will arrange the necessary follow-up care for the patient as well as assist the patient with follow-up care.
The follow-up care responsibilities that are performed by renal transplant coordinators seem to be the most time consuming of all of their responsibilities. The first thing that they will take care of is educating the transplant patient on how they need to take care of themselves after the surgery has been done. They will teach the patient how to properly take their medications as well as help the patient understand their medications. They will help the patient keep up with their post-surgical doctors visits and they may even assist the patient in getting to all of their post-surgical doctor visits. Many renal transplant coordinators will also help the patient find and join support groups to help them cope with their renal transplant and any emotions stemming from it.
