09/24/2021
A message from Fresenius Medical Care - Being a Leader in Your Clinic: Q&A with NCT Shelba Jones
| Patients are our number one priority at Fresenius Kidney Care, and no one understands that better than a Nephrology Care Technician (NCT). Shelba Jones has been working to drive positive change for people living with kidney disease in Brooklyn, N.Y. for nearly 40 years. She has supported countless people over the course of her career, helping them thrive and live longer, healthier lives. Shelba shares how her position as an NCT has enabled her to be a leader in her center and drive positive change at Fresenius Kidney Care. |
Tell us about your experience as a Nephrology Care Technician and how you’ve been able to grow and advance your career.
Shelba Jones: I’ve been working at Fresenius Kidney Care for 37 years as a dialysis technician, so I’ve seen and experienced a lot in that time. I started my career and spent most of my time as an NCT working in-center, but I recently transitioned to home therapies where I have been working with patients on home dialysis for the last few years. Since transitioning to home therapies, I’ve learned all modalities, which allows me to better serve our patients; they benefit from my knowledge and perspective working across all different types of dialysis treatments.
Early in my career, I realized that I’m “not just a NCT” – I’m a critical part of the care team. This mentality has taken me far and I’ve always presented myself with a positive attitude. Teamwork and leadership go hand-in-hand and are critical for a successful career in dialysis. I’ve found ways to be a leader at my center both formally and informally, and that has created a lot of opportunities for me.
What leadership opportunities are available to NCTs at Fresenius Kidney Care?
Shelba Jones: There are many ways to be a leader and different avenues to advance your career; the opportunities are endless for NCTs. For me, that has been working in-center and in home therapies, as well as being a member of the NCT Advisory Council.
The NCT Advisory Council is a group of NCTs from Fresenius Kidney Care centers around the country with a direct line to executive leadership at the company. We work together to share ideas, brainstorm solutions to challenges, either based on experiences in our own centers or identifying new ways of working, and ultimately represent NCTs to senior leadership.
I’ve been a member of the council for the last two years and it has become my passion. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, I brought up the idea of gathering the NCT Advisory Council in person for a conference and leadership made that happen. It was really empowering to see my suggestion come to life and made me feel like I was being heard, especially by our top leaders.
Informally, I’ve also been an advocate for our new hires within the center. It’s important to me that they feel comfortable and welcome because I remember what it was like when I first started. ‘No one left behind’ has always been my motto, so I always try to have a positive attitude and get to know our new employees. We all have different approaches and ways of doing things, but at the end of the day, we’re all working to help our patients and I try to remind everyone of that.
What advice do you have for NCTs and anyone else looking to advance their careers in the dialysis industry today?
Shelba Jones: You never know who is watching you, so always put your best foot forward. That’s how some of my biggest opportunities have come my way. I had a Clinical Manager who encourage me to take on a lot of great projects and through that, I had the opportunity to precept a young lady who was an NCT. She progressed in her career to become a Clinical Manager, and then a manager in home therapies. That young lady is the one who convinced me to transition to home therapies. It was because of the opportunities my Clinic Manager gave me that we were connected. I was also in a video about a day in the life of a NCT and I met another young lady at a home therapies conference who was inspired to become a dialysis technician because of that video. Knowing that what I’ve done in my career has not only impacted patients, but also my peers, is really powerful.
Shelba Jones, native of Brooklyn, New York, is an esteemed healthcare professional with over 35 years of experience in the Hemodialysis industry. Shelba has been a beacon of light and outstanding employee with Fresenius Medical Care for 37 years as a Certified Hemodialysis Technician. Shelba is highly dedicated to providing exceptional care to her patients. Her stellar patient care skills have placed her as an outstanding technician who works seamlessly within both In-center and Home Therapy modalities.