Organ donation: A cross-Canada perspective of critical care nursing practice

Abstract

Aim: Our aim in this study was to describe the experiences of critical care nurses in the organ donation process in selected units across Canada. Interviews and focus groups were conducted to elicit perceptions of critical care nurses regarding their experiences with potential organ donors and their families. Methods: Two adult critical care units (one with an active transplant program and one with no transplant program) in each of eight Canadian cities were studied. Purposive sampling was used to select three critical care nurses from each unit for individual interviews and six to eight nurses from the 16 critical care units for focus groups. Findings: There were 112 participants who participated in an individual interview and/or a focus group. Following data analysis, the themes identified were related to support, the process of organ donation (including preparing family and ourselves, lived experience of nurses, saying good-bye, death rituals, spiritual beliefs, and meaning of death), systemic considerations (culture and environment), and outcomes of the organ donation process. Conclusion: While the benefits of organ donation and transplantation are clear, it appears that greater consideration can be given to policies, structures and processes, including education about systemic racism and unconscious bias that support nurses involved in the process.