DENVER, May 7, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- DaVita Kidney Care, a division of DaVita Inc. (NYSE: DVA), a leading provider of kidney care services in the United States, today kicked off National Nurses Week by thanking its more than 18,000 nurses for the integral role each plays in helping patients with kidney disease have a better quality of life.

Kidney care nurses spend a lot of time with their patients, as many patients receive in-center hemodialysis three times a week for up to four hours per treatment. In addition to delivering life-sustaining dialysis treatments, kidney care nurses have the opportunity to connect with patients on a deeper level.

"Not only do DaVita nurses deliver quality care that helps maintain our position as a clinical outcomes leader, but we listen to patients, seek to understand each personally and do our best to support patients through both challenging and joyful times," said Mandy Hale, RN, vice president of nursing for DaVita Kidney Care.

Hale, the first executive leader of nursing for the company, has helped DaVita create a culture of nursing excellence and professional advancement. DaVita offers eligible nurses a number of opportunities to engage in life-long learning by providing benefits such as tuition reimbursement and all-expense-paid attendance at professional nursing conferences through its LeaRN award. DaVita nurses are also eligible to receive discounted memberships for several professional nursing organizations.

DaVita seeks to actively engage its nurses to help drive continuous improvement through its Nurse Roundtables, which are held on a quarterly basis. Nurses from across the company are selected by their leadership to attend. It is an opportunity to spend time with fellow nurses, brainstorm topics impacting clinical care and react to or provide input on future initiatives.

This year, DaVita launched its THRIVE program, a program that is designed to help develop high-potential nurses, clinical coordinators and clinic nurse managers for positions in operation management. This five-month program allows participants to shadow local nurses and receive centralized training in several U.S. regions.

National Nurses Week runs through May 12. The American Nurses Association expanded this from a recognition day to a week-long celebration to highlight the vital role all nurses play, no matter the field, and honor them for the work they do each and every day. To learn more, visit NursingWorld.org.

For more information about nursing at DaVita, visit Careers.DaVita.com/Nurses.  

About DaVita Kidney Care
DaVita Kidney Care is a division of DaVita Inc., a Fortune 500® company, that through its operating divisions provides a variety of health care services to patient populations throughout the United States and abroad. A leading provider of dialysis services in the United States, DaVita Kidney Care treats patients with chronic kidney failure and end stage renal disease. DaVita Kidney Care strives to improve patients' quality of life by innovating clinical care, and by offering integrated treatment plans, personalized care teams and convenient health-management services. As of March 31, 2018, DaVita Kidney Care operated or provided administrative services at 2,539 outpatient dialysis centers located in the United States serving approximately 198,000 patients. The company also operated 241 outpatient dialysis centers located in 10 countries outside the United States. DaVita Kidney Care supports numerous programs dedicated to creating positive, sustainable change in communities around the world. The company's leadership development initiatives and social responsibility efforts have been recognized by Fortune, Modern Healthcare, Newsweek and WorldBlu. For more information, please visit DaVita.com.

Media:
Caitlyn Major  
Caitlyn.Major@davita.com
(303) 876-7547

SOURCE DaVita Kidney Care