Abstract
Introduction / Background:
Most people understand the term death. However, in the world of organ donation, death can have different meanings. Donation after brain death (DBD) is when there is irreversible cessation of all brain activity due to lack of blood and/or oxygenation, a condition commonly referred to as being “brain dead.” The other form is donation after circulatory death (DCD) in which the patient has not deteriorated to brain death but there still may be an opportunity for families to opt for organ donation. Research has shown that healthcare providers working in intensive care units (ICUs) are not always at ease with DBD and even more uncomfortable with DCD. Providers struggle with a lack of knowledge, role confusion, lack of collaboration, and legality doubts. This results in misunderstandings and can raise barriers between healthcare providers, even to the point of questioning the organ donation process. The aim of this study is to gain insight on the perceptions and knowledge of intensive care healthcare providers regarding DBD and DCD before and after an educational intervention.
Methods / Intervention Detail: Participants will be recruited within the medicine intensive care unit (MICU) in a large tertiary academic health care system across a range of shifts with a broad range of professional background, experience, demographics, and organ donation knowledge
Perceptions & knowledge of organ donation will be assessed pre and post an educational program guided by United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) resources. Consent of participants will by implied by voluntary completion of the online survey.
Results: This descriptive study will report participants’ demographics along with paired t tests of pre and post educational program results.
Discussion: Healthcare professionals are vital for the implementation of DBD and DCD, and their attitudes can influence their participation in the process. Satisfaction with end-of-life care can also impact physicians’ and nurses’ well-being after the patient’s death. If tensions are not addressed, clinicians could develop moral distress leading to burnout.
Conclusion: Clinicians have reported an increase in stress when they are implementing treatments in preparation for organ donation especially when DCD is planned. A better understanding of healthcare workers knowledge and perception of donation will guide interventions to impact end of life care and healthcare workers comfort with the organ donation process.
Notes
Heeley, B., Hodierne, L., Johnson, I., & Gardiner, D. (2023). A Single-center Exploration of Attitudes to Deceased Organ Donation Over Time Among Healthcare Staff in Intensive Care. Transplantation direct, 9(12), e1557. https://doi.org/10.1097/TXD.0000000000001557
Le Dorze, M., Martouzet, S., Cassiani-Ingoni, E., Roussin, F., Mebazaa, A., Morin, L., & Kentish-Barnes, N. (2022). "A Delicate balance"-Perceptions and Experiences of ICU Physicians and Nurses Regarding Controlled Donation After Circulatory Death. A Qualitative Study. Transplant international: official journal of the European Society for Organ Transplantation, 35, 10648. https://doi.org/10.3389/ti.2022.10648
Lomero, M. D. M., Jiménez-Herrera, M. F., Llaurado-Serra, M., Bodí, M. A., Masnou, N., Oliver, E., & Sandiumenge, A. (2018). Impact of training on intensive care providers' attitudes and knowledge regarding limitation of life-support treatment and organ donation after circulatory death. Nursing & health sciences, 20(2), 187–196. https://doi.org/10.1111/nhs.12400
Mandell, M. S., Zamudio, S., Seem, D., McGaw, L. J., Wood, G., Liehr, P., Ethier, A., & D'Alessandro, A. M. (2006). National evaluation of healthcare provider attitudes toward organ donation after cardiac death. Critical care medicine, 34(12), 2952–2958. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.CCM.0000247718.27324.65
Milross, L., O'Donnell, T., Bucknall, T., Pilcher, D., Poole, A., Reddi, B., & Ihle, J. (2022). Perceptions held by healthcare professionals concerning organ donation after circulatory death in an Australian intensive care unit without a local thoracic transplant service: A descriptive exploratory study. Australian critical care: official journal of the Confederation of Australian Critical Care Nurses, 35(4), 430–437. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aucc.2021.06.013
Sarti, A. J., Sutherland, S., Healey, A., Dhanani, S., Hartwick, M., Oczkowski, S., Messenger, D., Soliman, K., Ball, I., Mema, B., Cardinal, M. P., Valiani, S., & Cardinal, P. (2018). A multicentre investigation of organ and tissue donation education for critical care residents. Enquête multicentrique sur l’éducation des résidents en soins intensifs sur les dons d'organes et de tissus. Canadian journal of anaesthesia = Journal canadien d'anesthesie, 65(10), 1120–1128. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12630-018-1176-1
Tarabeih, M., & Bokek-Cohen, Y. (2020). Between health and death: The intense emotional pain experienced by transplant nurses. Nursing Inquiry, 27(2), e12335. https://doi.org/10.1111/nin.12335
Sigma Membership
Non-member
Type
Poster
Format Type
Text-based Document
Study Design/Type
Descriptive/Correlational
Research Approach
Other
Keywords:
Faculty Development, Acute Care, Hospice, Palliative, or End-of-Life, Organ Donation, Organ Procurement
Recommended Citation
Judd, Brooke and Rogers, Sandra, "Improving Healthcare Provider Knowledge & Satisfaction With the Organ Procurement Process" (2025). International Nursing Research Congress (INRC). 205.
https://www.sigmarepository.org/inrc/2025/posters_2025/205
Conference Name
36th International Nursing Research Congress
Conference Host
Sigma Theta Tau International
Conference Location
Seattle, Washington, USA
Conference Year
2025
Rights Holder
All rights reserved by the author(s) and/or publisher(s) listed in this item record unless relinquished in whole or part by a rights notation or a Creative Commons License present in this item record.
Review Type
Abstract Review Only: Reviewed by Event Host
Acquisition
Proxy-submission
Improving Healthcare Provider Knowledge & Satisfaction With the Organ Procurement Process
Seattle, Washington, USA
Introduction / Background:
Most people understand the term death. However, in the world of organ donation, death can have different meanings. Donation after brain death (DBD) is when there is irreversible cessation of all brain activity due to lack of blood and/or oxygenation, a condition commonly referred to as being “brain dead.” The other form is donation after circulatory death (DCD) in which the patient has not deteriorated to brain death but there still may be an opportunity for families to opt for organ donation. Research has shown that healthcare providers working in intensive care units (ICUs) are not always at ease with DBD and even more uncomfortable with DCD. Providers struggle with a lack of knowledge, role confusion, lack of collaboration, and legality doubts. This results in misunderstandings and can raise barriers between healthcare providers, even to the point of questioning the organ donation process. The aim of this study is to gain insight on the perceptions and knowledge of intensive care healthcare providers regarding DBD and DCD before and after an educational intervention.
Methods / Intervention Detail: Participants will be recruited within the medicine intensive care unit (MICU) in a large tertiary academic health care system across a range of shifts with a broad range of professional background, experience, demographics, and organ donation knowledge
Perceptions & knowledge of organ donation will be assessed pre and post an educational program guided by United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) resources. Consent of participants will by implied by voluntary completion of the online survey.
Results: This descriptive study will report participants’ demographics along with paired t tests of pre and post educational program results.
Discussion: Healthcare professionals are vital for the implementation of DBD and DCD, and their attitudes can influence their participation in the process. Satisfaction with end-of-life care can also impact physicians’ and nurses’ well-being after the patient’s death. If tensions are not addressed, clinicians could develop moral distress leading to burnout.
Conclusion: Clinicians have reported an increase in stress when they are implementing treatments in preparation for organ donation especially when DCD is planned. A better understanding of healthcare workers knowledge and perception of donation will guide interventions to impact end of life care and healthcare workers comfort with the organ donation process.
Description
Understanding healthcare providers' knowledge & perceptions of the organ procurement process is vital in the intensive care unit setting. This understanding is crucial in creating a collaborative environment and in decreasing the distress experienced by clinicians involved with the organ donation process.