Brain Death and Organ Donation: Knowledge, Awareness, and Attitudes of Medical, Law, Divinity, Nursing, and Communication Students

Organ Donation Awareness among Family Members of ICU Patients

Background and Objectives: With one of the lowest donation rates in the European Union, Romania faces challenges in organ donation from brain death donors, within an opt-in system. This study aims to measure the attitudes and knowledge of ICU patient's relatives toward organ donation. Materials and Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in the intensive care unit of the Emergency Clinical County Hospital of Oradea, Romania. A 24-item self-administered questionnaire (N = 251) was used to collect data on knowledge about organ and tissue donation and transplantation, as well as the willingness to donate. Results: A high degree of awareness and willingness for organ donation and transplantation was recorded. The main positive predictor of willingness to donate was the perception of helping others by donating their organs after brain death (β = 0.537, OR = 1.711, p < 0.05), and the main negative predictor was the idea that the whole body should be buried intact (β = -0.979, OR = 0.376, p < 0.01). Conclusions: A basic understanding of organ donation and transplantation and favorable attitudes toward organ donation were registered. Families' interviews for organ donation consent may be affected due to extreme emotional distress.

Attitudes That Might Impact upon Donation after Brain Death in Intensive Care Unit Settings: A Systematic Review

BACKGROUND

Organ donation and transplantation can save or improve the quality of life of people worldwide. However, there are many challenges associated with organ donation, as the demand for organs greatly outstrips supply. Additionally, there are brain-dead patients who could be potential organ donors. It is thus important to determine the attitudes affecting organ donation and transplantation in intensive care unit settings.

AIM

this study aimed to identify attitudes that might affect organ donation and transplantation in intensive care unit settings.

METHODOLOGY

Five electronic databases (CINAHL, Medline, PsycINFO, Scopus, and EMBASE) were searched systematically. A systematic search strategy was formulated. The quality of each study was assessed using the MMAT quality appraisal tool.

RESULTS

A total of seven studies were included. The findings of this systematic review demonstrate that education, policy, and continuing professional development could help to address barriers to donation.

CONCLUSIONS

therefore, to influence organ donation and transplantation positively, the main themes evaluated in this systematic review provide an opportunity to influence organ donation and transplantation attitudes in intensive care unit settings.

Impact of Structured Training Program about Cadaver Organ Donation and Transplantation on Knowledge and Perception of Nursing Students at Public and Private Nursing Teaching Institute of Northern India - An Interventional Study

Background

"Donation gap" refers to the shortage of organ donors worldwide. The medical/nursing students and various healthcare workers have poor awareness and attitude toward organ donation.

Objective

We conducted this study to assess the current level of knowledge and perception regarding cadaver organ donation and transplantation among nursing students and to evaluate the impact of structured training interventions on their baseline knowledge and perception level.

Methods

It was a single-group pre-post interventional study done by nursing students of one government and one private nursing college.A pre-tested questionnaire was used as a study tool.

Statistical Analysis

Various statistical tests like one-way repeated measure ANOVA, Mauchly's test of sphericity, and Greenhouse-Geisser correction were used. Pairwise comparisons used Bonferroni corrections.

Results

The pre-test group had the lowest mean knowledge (50.2346, SD = 15.35188), and immediately after training group had the highest (57.3900, SD = 14.34626). After one month, knowledge decreased but was still higher than pretraining (mean = 52.3607, SD = 13.28141).

Conclusions

The positive attitude of nursing students may augment cadaver organ donation and transplantation in the future. The study has also highlighted the further training needs of the participants.

Organ and Tissue Donation Consent Model and Intent to Donate Registries: Recommendations From an International Consensus Forum

Consent model and intent to donate registries are often the most public facing aspects of an organ and tissue donation and transplantation (OTDT) system. This article describes the output of an international consensus forum designed to give guidance to stakeholders considering reform of these aspects of their system.

Methods

This Forum was initiated by Transplant Québec and cohosted by the Canadian Donation and Transplantation Program partnered with multiple national and international donation and transplantation organizations. This article describes the output of the consent and registries domain working group, which is 1 of 7 domains from this Forum. The domain working group members included administrative, clinical, and academic experts in deceased donation consent models in addition to 2 patient, family, and donor partners. Topic identification and recommendation consensus was completed over a series of virtual meetings from March to September 2021. Consensus was achieved by applying the nominal group technique informed by literature reviews performed by working group members.

Results

Eleven recommendations were generated and divided into 3 topic groupings: consent model, intent to donate registry structure, and consent model change management. The recommendations emphasized the need to adapt all 3 elements to the legal, societal, and economic realities of the jurisdiction of the OTDT system. The recommendations stress the importance of consistency within the system to ensure that societal values such as autonomy and social cohesion are applied through all levels of the consent process.

Conclusions

We did not recommend one consent model as universally superior to others, although considerations of factors that contribute to the successful deployment of consent models were discussed in detail. We also include recommendations on how to navigate changes in the consent model in a way that preserves an OTDT system's most valuable resource: public trust.

Awareness Level Regarding Brain Death and the Acceptance of Organ Donation in Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia

Background There is a worldwide shortage of organ donations. In the United States, 20% of people on transplant waiting lists pass away annually due to the lack of accessible organs. Patients with brain death can donate organs, which may save other patients' lives. The Saudi Ministry of Health endorses brain death as equivocal to whole-body death. A study conducted in Saudi Arabia showed that there was a mild to moderate level of awareness regarding brain death. This study aimed to investigate the awareness and knowledge level regarding brain death and the acceptance of organ donation among the general population in Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia. Methodology An observational, cross-sectional study was conducted among 1,740 adults using an online questionnaire created and published in February 2023 to collect data from Saudi males and females aged 18 or older who were willing to participate in the study. The data were analyzed using SPSS version 23.0 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA) after collecting and entering them using the Windows version of Microsoft Office Excel 2016. Results Overall, 85.6% of the study participants had heard about organ donation. Of them, about 42.4% were aware of brain death. Further, 40% of participants were in agreement with organ donation. According to the findings, the majority of participants (60.9%) believed that a person could donate his or her organs during their life, while only 42.6% were unaware that they could donate their organs during death. Only 10.8% of participants knew that blood can be donated. There was no significant association between factors associated with organ donation and gender, education level, or monthly income. Conclusions This study concluded that study participants had a low level of awareness about brain death. Understanding brain death is essential for persuading people to donate their organs. Thus, more has to be done to inform and educate people about brain death and how it affects organ donation.

A Cross-Sectional Study of Professional Nurses' Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices Regarding Organ Donation in Critical Care Units of Public and Private Hospitals in the Eastern Cape, South Africa

BACKGROUND

Globally, there is an overwhelming increase in the number of patients waiting for donated organs for transplantation, with a gross shortage of available organs. Lack of clear practice guidelines and the knowledge and attitudes of health care providers were hypothesized as possible reasons. We aimed to determine the attitudes, level of knowledge, and practices of professional nurses working in critical care units in public and private hospitals in Eastern Cape Province regarding organ donation.

METHOD

The study used a quantitative, non-experimental, descriptive design to investigate the current knowledge, attitude, and practice of organ donation in critical care among 108 professional nurses working in public and private critical care units in Eastern cape. Data were collected between 26 February 2017 until 27 June 2017 using anonymous, self-administered, pretested questionnaires. The means of knowledge, and practice scores were estimated among participants, and their associated categorical explanatory variables were ascertained.

RESULTS

A total of 108 nurses participated in the study. Of these, 94 (87.0%) were female, 78 (72.2%) were black, 104 (96.3%) were Christians, 79 (73.2%) worked in an ICU, 79 (73.2%) had a diploma qualification, and 67 (62.0%) worked in a tertiary hospital. About 67% of the respondents had good knowledge, 53% had a positive attitude, and 50.4% had poor practice readiness toward organ donation. Working in renal units (p < 0.001) and practicing in tertiary hospitals (p < 0.001) were significantly associated with a high organ donation knowledge score while being a female nurse (p = 0.036), working in renal units (p < 0.001), and practicing in tertiary hospitals (p < 0.001) were significantly associated with a high organ donation practice score.

CONCLUSION

Differences in organ donation knowledge and practices were noted between the different levels of health care services as the tertiary level outperformed the secondary level institutions. Nurses play a major role in critical and end-of-life care and are closer to patients and relatives. Hence, pre- and in-service education and promotional campaigns among nurses at all levels of care would be a strategic step to scale availability of donated organs and would meet the needs of thousands of individuals who need them to survive.

The Willingness to Donate Organs in Medical Students From an International Perspective: A Meta-Analysis

Attitude toward organ donation mobilizes donation behavior and makes transplant surgery possible. As future health professionals, medical students will be a relevant generating opinion group and will have an important role in the organ requesting process. The goals of this meta-analysis were to obtain polled rates of medical students who are in favor, against, or indecisive toward cadaveric organ donation in the studies conducted around the world, and to explore sociocultural variables influencing the willingness to donate. Electronic search and revision of references from previous literature allowed us to locate 57 studies fulfilling the inclusion criteria. Data extraction and risk of bias assessment were performed by two independent investigators. Pooled estimations were computed assuming a random-effects model. Despite the fact that willingness to donate was elevated in medical students, estimated rates in studies from different geographical areas and sociocultural backgrounds exhibited significant differences. The age and the grade of the students also influenced the rate of students in favor. Donation campaigns should take into account cultural factors, especially in countries where certain beliefs and values could hamper organ donation. Also, knowledge and skills related to organ donation and transplant should be acquired early in the medical curriculum when a negative attitude is less resistant to change.

Impact of Religion on Opinions About Organ Donation and Transplantation in University Students From a Single University in Turkey

OBJECTIVES

The objective of the present report was to analyze the opinions, attitudes, and practices of Baskent University students with regard to the impact of religion on organ donation and transplantation.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We sent a web-based, 5-point Likert scale questionnaire (1: strongly disagree; 5: strongly agree) to capture the opinions and attitudes toward organ donation and transplantation after participants attended or did not a panel discussion on these topics.

RESULTS

We sent 361 E-mails and received 69 responses, of which 46 students attended the panel discussion. Most of the participants who attended were part of the faculty of medicine. Participants who did not attend were composed of students from other faculties at Baskent University. Religion played less of a role with regard to opinions on organ donation in those who did not attend. Of the attendees, 54.3% strongly agreed to become organ donors, 50% believed in the important role of religion in organ donation, and 54.3% believed that media sources play important roles in shaping public opinion on organ donation. The majority felt comfortable discussing organ donation with family and friends.

CONCLUSIONS

Although religion has an undeniable effect on the decision-making process, our survey showed that more than half of the participants were willing to become organ donors. Education, through the joint efforts of medical and religious scholars, as well as the media, should contribute to raising awareness on organ donation, thus contributing to increased access to transplantation worldwide.

Obtaining tissues and organs: empowering actions of nurses in the light of ecosystem thinking

OBJECTIVES

to analyze, in the light of ecosystem thinking, the actions of nurses that stimulate the potential to increase the rates of organ and tissue donation.

METHODS

descriptive, exploratory, mixed method study, of the embedded type, with simultaneous realization and emphasis on the quantitative approach, including 125 nurses from the Intra-hospital Commission for Donation of Organs and Tissues for Transplants in the Southern Region of Brazil. Data were collected using an online survey questionnaire. Quantitative data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences software; and qualitative, Bardin content analysis.

RESULTS

the identified actions refer to the reception of the family, exclusive dedication and remunerated valorization of the nurses of the commission, media and dissemination campaigns for society in general and educational actions for the training of professionals.

CONCLUSIONS

the results of the actions encourage the possibility of increasing the rates of organ and tissue donation for transplantation.

Improving psychological security and empowerment: New model for nurses toward the care of potential organ donors

BACKGROUND

Caring for brain dead patients is the heaviest of duties for nurses, and despite tremendous stress, there are no theories/models to support nurses in this situation. This study designed a supportive model for nurses to provide care for potential organ donors.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This qualitative study was conducted in two stages. In the first stage, semi-structured interviews with 31 nurses and other stakeholders, observation and field notes continued until data saturation, (on 2018), were analyzed using continuous and comparative analysis through Corbin-Strauss method. In the second stage, theory synthesis of Walker and Avant's strategies for theory construction (2011) was used to design a supportive model/theory. The theory synthesis includes three stages: (i) selection of focal concept (the concept of "moral obligation to provide holistic care until the last minute" was selected); (ii) review of studies to identify the factors related to focal concept relevant studies (42 articles were reviewed, statements and concepts related to focal concept were then extracted and classified, and their relations were specified); and (iii) organization of concepts and statements within a relevant general and effective manifestation of the phenomenon under study which led to developing of a model.

RESULTS

In this supportive model/theory, "improving psychological security and empowerment" was conceptualized within the conceptual framework. This supportive model entails three main components, including (i) informational and educational support, (ii) systematically support, and (iii) management support.

CONCLUSIONS

According to the results, nurses with moral obligation to provide holistic care were faced with several challenges. Therefore, it is recommended that the healthcare system take supportive proceedings for nurses in various fields of the care for brain dead patients to resolve educational, moral, and legal challenges. This supportive model is essential for maintaining the nurses' health, increasing the quality of nursing care and the health of potential transplant organs.

Knowledge, Attitude, and Performance of ICU, CCU, and Emergency Wards Nurses in Kermanshah, Iran, regarding Organ Donation

Background

Providing an organ for donation is a major problem worldwide and nurses play an important role in facilitating the process of organ donation. This study is aimed at investigating the knowledge, attitude, and performance of nurses working in the ICU, CCU, and emergency wards regarding organ donation.

Methods

In this descriptive-analytical study, 185 nurses working in ICU, CCU, and emergency wards were studied through systematic random sampling. The data collection was done by a self-administered questionnaire.

Results

The mean knowledge of nurses was 8.9 ± 1.4 out of 10. There was a significant relationship between knowledge of nurses regarding donation and religion and having organ donation card (P < 0.001). The mean attitude of nurses was 7.8 ± 2.2 out of 8. The variables, including “having a donation card and marriage,” were associated with attitude of nurses toward organ donation. The mean performance of nurses was 0.4 ± 0.7 out of 3. There was a significant relationship between performance of nurses and having a donation card (P < 0.001). Knowledge was the strongest predictor of nurses' performance (P < 0.01).

Conclusion

The studied nurses showed sufficient knowledge and favorable attitude toward organ donation; however, they had poor performance. It is suggested to hold training courses to improve performance of nurses. The revision of the nursing students' curriculum as future nurses should also be considered.

Attitudes, Knowledge, and Social Perceptions toward Organ Donation and Transplantation in Eastern Morocco

The study is aimed to assess attitudes, knowledge, and social perceptions toward organ donation and transplantation in Eastern Morocco and therefore understand what sets back this activity's expansion and progression. We conducted a cross-sectional study involving three groups of persons that are theoretically involved in the process of organ donation (medical students, law students, and nurses). Data were collected using an anonymous questionnaire related to the cultural, religious, medical, and legal aspects of organ donation and transplantation. Six hundred questionnaires were distributed. The participation rate in the study was 71%, with female predominance and participants were mainly from an average socioeconomic level. Fifty- one percent of the participants were medical students. About 87.1% had already heard about organ transplantation in Morocco, but most of them felt that they were not sufficiently informed. 57.9% of the participants were favorable with some reluctance to organ donation, 28.7% were unconditionally favorable, and 5.9% were totally unfavorable. Only 46% of the participants accepted living organ donation, whereas 47.1% did not. Moreover, 64.7% of the participants accepted organ donation after their death, evoking the desire to help others and save lives. According to our survey, 55.1% of our participants considered that the decision to donate their organs after death belongs to them. About 44.9% think they should discuss this decision with their relatives and 50% said their culture and religion influence their decisions. Our work did reveal an insufficient level of awareness about various aspects of the topic. Moreover, a high pro-portion of the participants did not have positive attitudes toward donating, mainly driven by religious, cultural beliefs and perceived risks to the donor. The reasons of refusal should be analyzed carefully to improve acceptability toward organ donation and transplantation.

A Study on Knowledge Towards Brain Death among Residents in Indonesia

This research was conducted to evaluate the knowledge and diagnosis of brain death among resident in Indonesia. This study used an observational analytic study with a cross-sectional study design using a questionnaire. The research subjects consisted of 132 level 2 (after 2 years of residency) and level 3 (after 4 years of residency) residents, the total sampling for which was taken from the departments of Neurosurgery, Anesthesiology, and Neurology at Dr. Soetomo Academic Medical Center Hospital, Surabaya, Indonesia. Data were taken from November 2018 to January 2019. A total of 132 residents of Neurosurgery, Neurology, and Anesthesiology participated in this study. From the series of studies, residents’ knowledge of the concept of brain death was in the sufficient category (41.7%), residents’ knowledge of the technical diagnosis of brain death was in the good category (40.2%), residents’ knowledge of brain death examination was in the less category (43.2%), and finally, it was found that the resident's knowledge of brain death was in a good category (35.6%). There were also significant differences in knowledge of brain death between Neurosurgery, Neurology, and Anesthesiologist Resident (P <0.001) and knowledge of brain death between level 2 and level 3 residents (P=0.032). In general, the Indonesian resident doctors’ knowledge of brain death is adequate, but knowledge of the clinical examination of brain death is still lacking. Further research must be carried out to promote knowledge of brain death in residents as well as professional doctors/specialists, so that the number of organ transplants, especially in Indonesia, will increase.

Nurses' Challenges in Caring for an Organ Donor Brain Dead Patient and their solution strategies: A Systematic Review

Background:

Caring for brain dead patient is one of the most troublous duties of an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) nurse. This study aimed to determine nursing challenges based on recent literature and identify the strategies to overcome these challenges.

Materials and Methods:

In this systematic review, the standard systematic review guideline of Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) was used with articles published in PubMed, Science Direct, Scientific Information Database (SID), and Google Scholar databases during 2000–2018 on the keywords “brain dead OR brain death” and “nurses OR nursing.” After the primary search, 212 articles were found. Eventually, 21 articles were selected for the final evaluation.

Results:

According to the results, the challenges included the concept and diagnosis of brain death, religious, and cultural beliefs opposing organ donation, lack of knowledge about the care process, interactions with the families. The proposed strategies were providing medical and nursing interventions to maintain a brain dead patient for organ donation, providing working conditions that maintain nurses' health, and increase the quality of care.

Conclusions:

Nurses play an important role in the care process of brain dead patients; therefore, recognizing their challenges can be thefirst step in increasing holistic care and maintaining organ vitality for transplantation. It is suggested that nursing authorities commence special educational programs with the aim to increase the knowledge of nurses about the care process of brain dead patients.

Attitudes of Nurses Toward Organ Donation in Serbia

OBJECTIVE

Nurses represent the key persons in the process of organ donation, acting as intermediaries between the patient and the family of a potential donor. The aim of this study was to analyze the factors influencing the attitudes of nurses toward bequeathing and organ and tissue donation.

METHODS

The research was designed as a cross-sectional study from November 2013 to November 2014 and included a sample of 264 nurses employed in the health system of Serbia. Data were collected using a specific questionnaire of 18 questions referring to the information on sociodemographic characteristics and the knowledge of organ donation.

RESULTS

The investigation enrolled 264 participants, of which 78% were women. The majority of study subjects had secondary medical education (64.4%), lived in an urban area (82.6%), were married (56.4%), and were predominantly Orthodox (87.1%) with their work experience between 5 and 10 years (29.9%) and 10 to 20 years (29.5%). The average knowledge score concerning organ donation was 29.03 (SD, 2.33; range, 23-34). There was a statistically significant difference in the scores between 2 groups formed according the length of service (P < .001) and the level of education (P = .019), which showed the strongest influence on nurses' attitudes toward donation.

CONCLUSION

This investigation showed that nurses did not express strong positive attitude toward this issue. Further education of nurses in the Serbian health care system focusing on transplantation and bequeathing of organs and tissues are warranted.

The Number of Patients Diagnosed with Brain Death and Organ Donation Rates at the Başkent University Konya Hospital: 6-Year Experience

OBJECTIVES

Kidney transplant started at Başkent University Konya Hospital in July 2016. In this study, we compared the causes of brain death and the organ donation rates in our center between 2013 and 2016 versus between 2016 and 2019.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Patient files and records were analyzed retrospectively. Age, biologic sex, cause of brain death, and organ donation rates of patients diagnosed with brain death were examined and compared.

RESULTS

The number of patients who were diagnosed with brain death and became deceased donors at our center increased 4-fold during the period from 2016 to 2019 compared with that shown from 2013 to 2016. In addition, organ donation rates increased to 71.4%, which is much higher than the average in Turkey (24%-28%). Between 2013 and 2016, trauma was the leading cause of brain death (42.8%), whereas between 2016 and 2019 cerebral hemorrhages rose to first place with a rate of 89.3%. In 2018 and 2019, there were 199 and 62 brain deaths, respectively, reported in our organ donation coordination region with an approximate organ donation rate of 25%. In our center, 12 patients were diagnosed with brain death in 2018 and 8 of these patients (66.7%) became donors; 6 brain deaths were diagnosed in 2019, and 4 patients (66.7%) became donors. Since we started kidney transplant at our center in 2016, the number of patients diagnosed with brain death has increased significantly.

CONCLUSIONS

Establishing a healthy communication with relatives of patients and having a dedicated organ transplant center are important reasons for our much higher organ donation rates compared with the general rate in Turkey. A healthy communication is the most effective way to establish trust with next-of-kin and the general public.

Narrative review on attitudes toward organ donation of undergraduate nurse students

AIM

We aimed at obtaining suggestions to increase the number of organ donations by conducting a meta-analysis of researches on attitudes toward organ donation for nurse undergraduates around the world.

METHODS

We looked for documents published by April 2017 using CINAHL, MEDLINE, Japan Medical Abstract Society, CiNii, and PsycINFO. We searched for English and Japanese literature including all terms of "attitude", "students", "nursing", "Tissue and Organ Procurement", "organ donation". This study was carried out based on the Prisma Statement 2010.

RESULTS

As a result of the search, six CINAHLs, 45 MEDLINEs, seven Japan Medical Abstract Society articles were extracted, but no papers from CiNii and PsycINFO. We extracted and analyzed 21 original papers including contents of organ donation, targeting nurse undergraduates, which also excluding scale development.

Understanding of Brain Death Among Health-Care Professionals at a Transplant Center

Introduction:

There is considerable variation in brain death understanding and policies between medical institutions, however, studies have not yet compared different health-care professionals working in the same hospital.

Research Questions:

The overall aim of this study was to evaluate understanding of brain death among health-care professionals within intensive care units (ICUs) at a single institution.

Design:

Study participants included 217 attending physicians, residents, nurses, medical students, and other ICU team members in 6 ICUs. Participants completed a 21-question survey pertaining to knowledge of brain death and related institutional policies as well as opinions about brain death.

Results:

We found a wide range of brain death understanding among health-care professionals in ICUs. Attending physicians have the greatest understanding (94.7%), followed by nurses (72.4%). In contrast, approximately half of the students and residents do not have a basic understanding of brain death. Brain death understanding was correlated to health-care role, years of experience, and whether the participant had formal training in brain death. Although most participants had been involved in cases of brain death, a much smaller number had received formal training on death by neurological criteria.

Discussion:

The present study observed a paucity of clinical training in brain death among health-care professionals in the study ICUs. There is an opportunity for improved clinical education on brain death that could improve communication with families about brain death and potentially increase the number of organs transplanted.

Organ and tissue donation: use of quality tool for process optimization

Abstract Objective: Identify by means of a management tool causes of losses of possible and potential organs and tissues donation as opportunities of improvements in the organs and tissues donation system. Method: Descriptive and quantitative study developed in three hospitals in the south of the country, which used an instrument of the National Transplant Organization of Spain to trace opportunities of improvements in the scenario of the organs and tissues donation. Tha data collect was carried out in patients´medical records from July and October 2017. The data were analyzed through the descriptive statistics. Results: Of the 321 deaths occurred, 73% were heart arrested and 27% were brain death. In all hospitals the percentage of brain death was higher than 25%. The causes of losses involve hemodynamic alterations 78.3% and medical contraindications 21,7%, with respect to hemodynamic instability 33% related to the hypotension, polyuria 28% , sodium more than 155mEq/l 22% and temperature below 35.5ºC in 17%. Conclusion and Implications for practice: The main causes of loss involve the hemodynamic instability and the contraindication, with respect to opportunities of improvements it was possible to measure the causes of the non-validation of the potential organs donor. The management tool used in the study allows the healthcare team to develop strategies directed towards actual problems incurred at the stages of the donation and transplantation process.

Theology and Nursing Students' Knowledge of Organ Donation and Transplantation

INTRODUCTION

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the knowledge level of nursing and theology students, who will deliver health care and religious services in the future, about organ donation.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study was conducted with 578 university students at Firat University Faculty of Health Science Nursing Department and Faculty of Theology.

RESULTS

Of the participants, 49.3% were nursing students and 50.7% were theology students. Although 3.8% of the students stated that a family member had donated an organ, only 0.5% of all students had a donation card. Among the nursing students, 34.4% stated that they had no reason for not having a donation card and that they might donate in the future. Among the theology students, the rate was 27.3%. In terms of reasons for wishing to be an organ donor, religious beliefs were more important to theology students than to nursing students (18.4% and 16.1%, respectively). The nursing students' total score on the Organ-Tissue Donation and Transplantation Knowledge Scale was significantly higher than that of the theology students (P < .05).

CONCLUSIONS

Although the current level of knowledge of nursing and theology students about organ donation and transplantation was adequate, the rate of organ donation was low. Therefore, not only health care professionals, but also religious officials have important roles to play in increasing the organ donation rate. Removing existing barriers to organ donation is important to resolve the current organ donation shortage in Turkey.

Changing Attitudes of Medical Students Regarding Organ Donation from a University Medical School in Turkey

Background

Doctors have an important role in increasing the number of organ donors. This study aimed to investigate the changing attitudes of medical students regarding organ donation, from first-year medical students (FYMS) to sixth-year medical students (SYMS) at a university medical school in Turkey.

Material/Methods

One hundred first-year medical students and 100 sixth-year medical students participated in the study. A four-part questionnaire was designed for the study, with a response rate of 66.8%.

Results

Completed study questionnaires showed that organ donation was considered by 46% of first-year medical students and 60% of sixth-year medical students, but an organ donor card was signed by only 8% and 10%, respectively. Information about organ donation had been sought, mainly from social media, by 72% of first-year medical students, and 55% of sixth-year medical students. Regarding their views on organ donation of their relatives, 78% of first-year medical students and 86% of sixth-year medical students were influenced by the opinions of their families and community. When asked about brain death, 50% of first-year medical students and 12% of sixth-year medical students believed it to be a potentially reversible condition, or were uncertain of the definition.

Conclusions

During six years of training in a university medical school in Turkey, there was only a slight increase in the number of students who were willing to become organ donors and there was a lack of formal education regarding organ donation. Therefore, urgent improvements are required in the education of doctors and society regarding organ donation.

Effects of Peer Education on Attitudes Toward Organ Donation in Nursing Students

BACKGROUND

Nurses play an effective role in the identification of donors and in the families' decision-making processes related to organ donation. It is recommended that nursing students be offered specific education regarding organ donation and transplantation. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of peer education on attitudes toward organ donation and the rate of attaining a donor card in undergraduate nursing students.

METHODS

This study was a quasi-experimental trial in a single group conducted between February 2016 and October 2016. Data were collected in 3 stages (pretest, posttest 1, and posttest 2) by using the Organ Donation Attitudes Scale. Data analysis was made with descriptive statistics, repeated measures analysis of variance, and the McNemar test.

RESULTS

The mean age of the participants was 21.63 ± 1.19 years. There was no statistically significant difference in students' attitudes toward organ donation after peer education (P > .05). The difference in the number of students having a donor card after peer education was highly significant (P < .05).

CONCLUSIONS

These study results showed that peer training did not positively change nursing students' attitudes toward organ donation but encouraged them to acquire a donor card and increased their knowledge of the organ donation system.

THE INFLUENCE OF INFORMATION AND RELIGION ON ORGAN DONATION, AS SEEN BY SCHOOL TEACHERS IN BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA

Introduction:

Transplantation of organs is the treatment of choice for severe organ failure worldwide.

Aim:

The aims of the present study were to determine the influence of religion on attitudes towards organ donation among staff at schools in Tuzla.

Material and Methods:

In the Tuzla region there are 42 schools and 1580 school staff. A total of 21 schools were selected randomly, which were stratified by geographical location. 499 employees were invited to participate in the study, and 475 agreed to participate. According to the definition of their attitude towards religion the subjects were divided into three groups: non-religious, only religious and practical believers.

Results:

None of the subjects possesses a donor card. To the question whether the subjects support the idea of organ transplantation, most replied that they support the idea of donating organs both during life and after death. Regarding this question there is a significant difference between the groups (p = 0.0063). To the question whether they are prepared to donate an organ of a deceased family member, most replied that they would consent to donating an organ, whilst a significant number also replied that they were not sure. The results show that there is no significant difference between the replies given by the groups (p = 0.7694). To the question regarding to whom they were prepared to donate an organ, most said they were prepared to donate one to a member of their family, then to a close relative, whilst the least would donate to a stranger. The results show that there is a significant difference between the groups (p = 0.0002).

Conclusion:

In order to reduce the wide disparity between the need and organ donation amongst other things a more active relationship is necessary between health workers, religious officials and school staff.