Caring for a potential organ donor at an intensive care unit: the role of the nurse

Abstract

Brain death causes irreparable loss of function of the brain as whole and is tantamount to the individual death. According to the governing laws in Poland, a committee composed of three consultants, including a specialist in anaesthesiology and intensive care and a specialist in neurosurgery or neurology, states the individual death. Stating brain death has occurred discharges doctors from their obligation to continue therapy. In the event the organs can be harvested for transplant, after ruling out the objection of the deceased and medical counter indications, medical staff continues to care for the donor during the period of preliminary observation, diagnostics and establishing brain death, and later for the deceased, until the organs are harvested. It includes all activities, from monitoring to therapy, diagnostic and nursing activities. Nurses play an important role in the team providing care to a donor. The nurse should have extensive knowledge about brain death, its course and results, as they play an important role in proper diagnostic procedure and providing proper care until the organs are harvested. Strict nursing supervision of the donor allows the staff to detect deviations in the functioning of the organism early. The aim of this paper was to present the procedures concerning declaring brain death and portraying the role of a nurse in caring for a potential organ donor at an intensive care unit. Conclusions. Proper procedure is paramount in harvesting good quality organs for transplantation and assuring their proper functioning later. It is worthwhile to note the role of the nurse in contacts with the family, as cooperation with the donor’s family is an important aspect of the process, especially the ability to conduct difficult conversations.