Updated for 2026 • 2 ANCC contact hours • Peer-reviewed by specialists
Chronic Kidney Disease Management in Primary Care
Confidently diagnose, evaluate, and slow CKD progression
Managing CKD in Primary Care
For many nurse practitioners, chronic kidney disease feels like one of the most intimidating conditions to manage in primary care.
Maybe you've watched a patient's eGFR slowly decline over time and wondered, "Am I supposed to do something differently?" Or perhaps you've inherited a patient with CKD and weren't sure what workup had already been completed, how often to monitor them, or what you could do to slow progression.
It's easy to feel like you're simply watching kidney function worsen without a clear plan.
Maybe you've wondered:
Does this patient actually have CKD, or is this an isolated abnormal creatinine?
What workup should I order after I discover a reduced eGFR?
How often should I monitor labs?
Which medications need dose adjustments as kidney function declines?
When should I refer to nephrology?
How do I manage anemia, metabolic acidosis, or worsening kidney function?
The reality is that primary care plays a critical role in the early detection, evaluation, and long-term management of CKD. There are evidence-based therapies that can slow disease progression, reduce cardiovascular risk, and improve patient outcomes—but knowing when to use them and how to apply current guidelines in everyday practice isn't always straightforward.
This course gives you a practical framework for approaching CKD in primary care—from diagnosis and staging through monitoring, medication management, complication management, and knowing when referral is appropriate—so you can make confident decisions instead of feeling like you're just watching the numbers change.
Note: This course assumes you're comfortable interpreting basic renal laboratory tests. If renal lab interpretation is an area where you'd like additional support, the Renal Lab Interpretation Essentials course is included in the Chronic Care Series Bundle and pairs seamlessly with this course.
What you’ll learn in this CKD Course:
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Diagnose, stage, and evaluate CKD using current KDIGO recommendations, including appropriate screening, workup, and risk stratification
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Slow CKD progression by applying evidence-based blood pressure, diabetes, and kidney-protective therapies in primary care
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Safely manage patients with CKD by adjusting medications, monitoring disease progression, and managing common complications
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Know when to worry by identifying patients who require additional workup, urgent evaluation, or nephrology referral.
Why This CKD Course is Different
Most CKD education focuses on staging and memorizing guideline recommendations, but the challenge in primary care isn't remembering the CKD stages—it's knowing what to do after you discover abnormal kidney function.
This course teaches a practical framework for evaluating reduced eGFR and albuminuria, identifying the underlying cause of kidney disease, implementing kidney-protective therapies, monitoring progression over time, and recognizing when patients need additional workup or nephrology referral. Rather than memorizing isolated recommendations, you'll learn how to apply current KDIGO recommendations to the patients you see every day.
What’s Included in This CKD Course
This self-paced course includes concise video lessons that walk through a structured approach to diagnosing, evaluating, monitoring, and managing chronic kidney disease in primary care.
The course also includes practice cases, downloadable Cheat Sheets, and slides for quick reference, and an audio-only playback option through the course app, so you can review lessons while commuting or between clinic sessions.
This activity includes the opportunity to earn 2 hours of ANCC continuing education credit upon completion of the post-test and activity evaluation.
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Build a strong foundation for understanding chronic kidney disease in primary care. You'll learn how CKD is defined, staged, and classified, why early recognition matters, and the key concepts that provide the foundation for evidence-based CKD management.
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Learn how to confidently diagnose and stage CKD using current KDIGO recommendations. We'll walk through a structured evaluation of abnormal kidney function, including the appropriate laboratory workup, imaging, identification of the underlying cause, and when nephrology referral is appropriate.
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Learn the core standards of care every patient with CKD should receive. We'll cover evidence-based monitoring, follow-up intervals, kidney-protective therapies, cardiovascular risk reduction, and the routine interventions that help slow CKD progression.
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Apply current KDIGO recommendations to the long-term management of CKD. You'll learn how to recognize and manage common CKD complications, determine appropriate monitoring, and know when changes in kidney function require additional evaluation or nephrology referral.
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Learn how diabetes management changes in patients with CKD. We'll cover kidney-protective therapies, medication selection and dose adjustments, SGLT2 inhibitors, finerenone, metformin safety, and practical strategies for reducing kidney and cardiovascular risk.
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Confidently manage hypertension in patients with CKD. You'll learn blood pressure targets, medication optimization, diuretic selection, resistant hypertension management, and practical strategies to slow CKD progression.
Who This CKD Management Course is For:
Perfect for:
New NPs learning to manage CKD independently in primary care
Experienced NPs looking to refresh their CKD management framework and stay current with evidence-based recommendations
Providers transitioning into primary care
Preceptors teaching CKD management and clinical reasoning to students or new graduates
Who this is NOT for:
Pediatric or OB providers
Emergency, inpatient, or critical care clinicians
Clinicians looking for an advanced nephrology fellowship-level course
Anyone wanting a highly academic cardiology course
This series is designed specifically for adult outpatient primary care.
Get Instant Access to CKD Management in Primary Care
One Payment Of:
$197
Your Enrollment Includes:
Complete self-paced CKD management course
Realistic primary care case-based practice scenarios
Downloadable treatment algorithms and clinical reference guides
Mobile app with audio-only lesson playback
Downloadable Cheat Sheets and references
2 ANCC CE hours
Please note: This course is intended for educational purposes only and is designed to support clinical learning. It does not replace professional judgment, clinical guidelines, or consultation with specialists when appropriate.
Want to upgrade to the Chronic Care Series Bundle?
The Chronic Care Series Bundle is a bundle of four focused courses. Each course can be purchased individually, but has been bundled to create the most comprehensive learning experience.
The Bundle Includes:
Diabetes Management in Primary Care - $347
Hypertension Management in Primary Care - $197
Chronic Kidney Disease Management in Primary Care - $197
Renal Lab Interpretation Essentials for Primary Care - $197
8.75 ANCC contact hours (including 2.25 pharmacology CE)
$938 value purchased separately - save 31% as a bundle | Learn more
$650
One-time Payment
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2 hours of CE
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Access expires after 1 year with the option to extend access for a nomial fee at the end of the year term. Any downloadable items are yours to keep.
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Yes. The goal of this course isn't simply to review guideline recommendations—it's to help you apply them confidently in real patient care.
You'll learn how to evaluate abnormal kidney function, identify the underlying cause of CKD, implement kidney-protective therapies, adjust medications safely as kidney function declines, monitor disease progression, manage common CKD complications, and recognize when additional workup or nephrology referral is appropriate.
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No.
However, if you'd like a deeper understanding of interpreting kidney function, electrolytes, or urine albumin results, the Lab Interpretation Series provides a more comprehensive framework for interpreting those laboratory tests.
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You don’t have to purchase both bundles, but many primary care NPs find that lab interpretation and chronic disease management go hand-in-hand.
If you choose both, select the Chronic Care Series — Lab Interpretation Companion so you don’t pay for the renal labs course twice.
Frequently asked questions
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Absolutely. It was built especially for new and early-career NPs.
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Yes. We cover first-line and second-line antihypertensive medications, including when to start treatment, how to choose the right medication, common side effects, laboratory monitoring, medication optimization, and practical strategies for managing patients whose blood pressure isn't at goal.
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Yes. ANCC contact hours count for both credentialing bodies.
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Yes. The course has been updated to reflect the latest KDIGO CKD management recommendations and incorporates current evidence throughout the lessons.
Rather than simply reviewing the guidelines, we focus on how to apply them in everyday primary care practice.
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This course is included in the Chronic Care Series Bundle.
If you're interested in diabetes, chronic kidney disease, and hypertension management, the bundle offers the most comprehensive learning experience and provides significant savings compared to purchasing each course individually.
About Real World NP
Real World NP provides practical, continuing education for nurse practitioners in primary care—without the fluff. Founded by Liz Rohr, an NP and educator, we’ve helped over 10,000 learners feel more confident in real-world practice.
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