How modifiable factors influence parental decision-making about organ donation

Attitudes towards multi-organ donation among intensive care unit nurses in transplant hospitals

AIM

To evaluate the attitudes towards deceased multi-organ donation and transplantation among nurses within the critical care units of the six public tertiary transplant hospitals in Madrid, Spain.

BACKGROUND

Spain has a rate of 49 donations per million population, whereas Madrid has a lower donation rate of 34.2 per million population. Nurses generate social opinion, and their attitude can be one of the barriers against organ donation.

METHOD

An observational descriptive study was conducted among critical care units' nurses. The measuring instrument was the Collaborative International Donor Project in Organ Donation and Transplantation. Data were collected from January to October 2019, and a statistical analysis was performed.

RESULTS

A total of n = 313 questionnaires achieved a response rate of 51%. Of the intensive care unit nurses surveyed, 85% had a favourable opinion towards the donation of their organs being affected by psychosocial variables related to social variables with respect to family, religion and attitude towards the body.

CONCLUSION

The intensive care unit nurses of the Madrid transplant hospitals maintain a favourable attitude towards organ donation and transplantation. It is necessary to implement specialized training and periodically evaluate training in this sector. To maintain and improve the attitude towards organ donation, family discussion among health personnel should be encouraged. Religion influences the attitude of nurses and donation rates.

IMPLICATION FOR NURSING AND HEALTH POLICY

Intensive care nurses' attitude towards organ donation is influenced by social variables. This study shows that the attitude is positive but improvable. These findings contribute to promote awareness of the lack of organs and the benefits of organ donation.

Body Perception and Organ Donation: Bereaved Parents' Perspectives

The view of the body in sociological, psychological, and gender studies may be broadly summarized to three metaphors: (a) the body as a machine, (b) the body as Self, and (c) the body as sacred and sanctified entity. Each of these philosophical views has an impact on organ donation. The current study aimed at revealing body perception of bereaved Israeli parents who agreed to donate organs of their deceased child. A deductive and inductive thematic analysis captured an ongoing perceptual change that bereaved donor parents experienced in their view of the child's body. Parents' ability to move between two positions (the body as Self, the body as a machine) allowed them to agree with and protect their decision to donate as well as to maintain an ongoing bond with their deceased child. The view of the body as scared entity was not evident in the bereaved parents' narratives.