Introduction:
Deceased Organ Donation is the best alternative option for organ recipients. The Department of Health intensifies its campaign to increase the deceased organ donors by information dissemination but with little results. In the Philippines, there is low donation rates and no education on deceased donation in medical and nursing schools. One of the factor which affects the success of this campaign is the attitude of health workers who is in touch with brain dead patient which is a potential donor. Attitude of health care workers specially the ICU and ER nurses towards brain death and deceased organ donation should be determined to enhance and empower them to handle brain dead patient for possible deceased organ donors.
Methods:
This study is a prospective cross-sectional research design using the questionnaire developed and validated by Jung Ran Kim, Murray John Fisher and Doug Elliott investigating 73 ICU and ER nurses from 3 private hospitals in Davao city, Philippines.
Results:
This study shows that despite the majority of ICU and ER nurses willing and amenable to have the organ of brain dead patient donated there was hesitation because of possibility of misdiagnosis (47%), violation of rights (55%) and discomfort from family members (53%). Respondents agreed that transplantation enhances recipient’s life (84%), a valuable choice for the bereaved (65%), part of donor will be alive (64%), organ donation prolongs life (79%), decrease medical cost and family’s psychological burden (77%) and (88%) believe it should be covered by insurance. Most of our study participants believed that brain death as true death (75%) and organ donation is desirable. They also agreed to refer to transplant for families that would like to donate their loved one’s organs (76%). Respondents agreed to donate their organ because their soul would be comforted but undecided to donate organs of family members if diagnosed brain death (53%). They are neutral in thinking that brain-dead patient doesn’t feel pain when the organs are procured. ICU and ER nurses are proud to be involved in the care of transplant recipients (79%), perceived it as rewarding experience (83%) and believe that working with transplant recipients positively influenced them for organ donation (62%).
Conclusions:
The attitude of health care professional plays a vital rule in the quest to increase the number of organ donors. With good attitude and acceptance to deceased donation , the researcher recommends training program especially for ER and ICU nurses in all hospital for patients handling patients suspected to be brain dead. Deceased donor identification and management should be included in the campaign programs on organ donation and education program to increase in the number of deceased organ donors in the country.
I have no potential conflict of interest to disclose.
I did not use generative AI and AI-assisted technologies in the writing process.