TITLE:
Nurses’ Recognition in Nursing for Patients and Families about Organ Donation after Brain Death, Care for Family Members and Supports for Nurses
AUTHORS:
Michiyo Ando, Mika Katahara
KEYWORDS:
Brain Death, Organ Donation, Nurse, Recognition, Family Care
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Nursing,
Vol.10 No.12,
December
23,
2020
ABSTRACT: Background: Globally, there a problem of disequilibrium between donation and organ transplantation, this equilibrium is remarkable in Japan. Especially there are few donations from brain death, and researches from the view point of nurses in clinical situation were needed. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to clarify the recognition of nurses in organ transplantation nursing, required care for families of patients, and required support for nurses to promote quality of nurses in organ donation. Methods: We conducted this research within 2 months in 2019 in Western Japan. A researcher conducted a semi-qualitative interview for nurses in organ transplantation nursing about their recognition of nursing, required care for family members, and required support for nurses once. Results: Nurses recognized that some family members who knew patients’ thoughts made decision easily and some who didn’t know had difficulties. Many nurses felt insufficiency for family cares and some confronted ethical problems. Though some nurses felt conflict about their own thoughts or religion, they took care of patients or family members with responsibility. As for care for families, nurses thought practice of care considering families’ feeling, support of decision making, and care for family to live positively after transplantation as required care. About support for nurses, nurses required education of transplantation, increase of staff members, chance to share dilemma, and mental care. Discussion: Nurses recognized the importance of decision making, and felt an insufficiency for family care or dilemmas. To propose high quality of nursing and organ donation or transplantation, education about transplantation including family care, management about resolution of dilemma or mental health may be required.