The perceptions of ITU nurses on organ donation

Abstract

Background: Organ Donation occurs when an individual consents to donate their healthy organ/s for transplantation into a recipient with compromised, failing, or dysfunctional organs. Donation after Brain Death, which is one out of the three types of organ donation, typically occurs in an ITU setting and ITU nurses are generally involved in all the processes related to this procedure. Aim: To explore the perceptions of ITU nurses working in a Local General Hospital in Malta regarding the process of organ donation. Methodology and Design: This study adopted a qualitative approach based on in-depth semi-structured interviews, drawing upon the principles of Grounded Theory. Setting: The study took place in an ITU setting within a General Hospital in Malta. Participants: Eight nurses working in the ITU setting were selected using a mixture of purposive and theoretical sampling. Participants had to be nurses working in the ITU and fluent in Maltese and/or English. Methods: Data was collected by semi-structured interviews which were transcribed verbatim. This study used analytical procedures that are in line with grounded theory methods involving coding and constant comparison of data which lead to the development of a theory about the ITU nurse’s perceptions on organ donation. Results: ITU nurses were found to have a central role in the organ donation process. As part of their role, they are involved in supporting relatives emotionally and in their decision-making regarding donating the organs of their loved one. It also involved preserving patient’s organs for donation while respecting their dignity. Various factors were found to influence ITU nurses’ roles. This included the hospital system and cultural factors. Nurses perceived their role at varied levels of difficulty and were all generally affected emotionally by the organ donation process. Conclusion: ITU nurses are centrally important in the process of organ donation and their role is complex and multifaceted. In this respect, they require support from the system within which they work. This, together with other factors are likely to influence the effectiveness and efficiency of the organ donation process