Increasing Vaccination Rates in a Pediatric Chronic Hemodialysis Unit.

Children with chronic kidney disease (CKD) are at an increased risk for serious complications from vaccine-preventable childhood diseases. Despite this risk, vaccination rates remain low. The barriers to vaccination in the pediatric population on dialysis are multifactorial. The advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) is well poised to serve as a wellness champion for this chronic population. This article chronicles an APRN-led quality improvement project to increase vaccination rates to 100% in an outpatient pediatric population on hemodialysis. A quality improvement system was created to systematically review immunizations upon admission to the hemodialysis unit and annually thereafter. Over a two-year period, immunization rates improved significantly.