Renal failure is a temporary or permanent loss of excretory function of the kidneys, i.e. the inability of the kidneys to adequately excrete toxic substances and excess fluid from the body. Kidney damage can be caused by a number of kidney and extrarenal diseases and by the effects of various toxins. Loss of renal function can occur suddenly, which is acute renal failure, and gradual, which is chronic renal failure. Replacement of renal function is performed by dialysis or kidney transplantation. There are two forms of dialysis treatment, namely hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis. Hemodialysis in the clinical sense is a procedure by which degradation products (toxins), excess electrolytes (potassium) and water are removed from the blood, and at the same time important substances that the body needs and are missing (bicarbonates) are added. In hemodialysis treatment, patients with acute and chronic renal failure should be provided with adequate access to the bloodstream. There are three types of access to the bloodstream, namely: arteriovenous fistula, arteriovenous graft, and central venous catheter. In the peritoneal dialysis procedure, the peritoneal membrane is used as a semipermeable membrane for metabolism. To perform this type of dialysis, a catheter is placed surgically into the abdominal cavity. In Croatia, according to data from the Croatian Register of Renal Function Replacement (HRNBF), about 150 new patients need kidney function replacement procedures, and a total of about 4,000 patients are being treated with these procedures. About 150,000 patients in Croatia suffer from chronic kidney disease and are at risk of worsening the disease by the time they need one of the types of kidney function replacement. The nurse / technician caring for dialysis patients must acquire specific knowledge and skills in order to adequately conduct health care procedures. The knowledge that is important is related to the recognition of symptoms and signs of the disease, diagnosis of kidney diseases, continuous monitoring and monitoring of the clinical condition of patients and knowledge and skills needed to implement various methods of renal function replacement. In addition, the nurse / technician must have knowledge of pharmacology, pharmacotherapy, proper nutrition, acquisition of communication and educational skills, knowledge of the basics of palliative care and skills of working within an interdisciplinary team. The nurse / technician is required to provide quality health care and make decisions that must be based on priorities and evidence-based nursing practice.