Teaching peritoneal dialysis: a position paper for the International Society for Peritoneal Dialysis

Given the central importance of the peritoneal dialysis (PD) nurse in successfully training and supporting a patient with PD at home, as well as preventing complications as a result of the therapy, the International Society for Peritoneal Dialysis (ISPD) has provided guidance on the principles for training in two previous publications. Despite the lack of high certainty evidence in teaching PD, this ISPD 2025 Position Paper builds upon the two prior works to provide contemporary approaches to training a patient/care partner for PD to be performed at home, based upon an evolution in healthcare practices broadly and the cumulative evidence to support recommendations to date. A number of practice points have been provided. Suggestions are discussed on key areas in teaching PD which include: (a) Education, knowledge, skills and attributes for the PD nurse trainer; (b) Preparation for the training; (c) Methods of training/educational interventions; (d) Post training; and (e) Measures of outcomes. Areas for future research are suggested and include: best practices on educational interventions; knowledge and skills necessary for PD nurses; and how to best capture and measure the patient experience related to PD training.