Nurses’ Values, Beliefs and Roles Regarding Organ Donation

Abstract

                   The shortage of organs for transplantation is caused by the increasing demand for organ transplants but the number of organ donors is constant. Exploring values and beliefs regarding organ donation and nurses’ roles in promoting the decision of family members is essential. This study explored Thai nurses’ values and beliefs regarding organ donation and their roles in promoting decision of potential organ donors’ family. The study took place at a regional hospital located in the southern part of Thailand. Fifty Thai nurses responded to two questionnaires: the Values and Beliefs of Organ Donation-Nurse Questionnaire and the Nurses’ Roles in Promoting Decision of Potential Organ Donors’ Family Questionnaire. Descriptive statistics and independent t-test were used. Over a quarter of the nurse participants (28%) had made requests for organ donation 1-2 times. For personal values and beliefs, the nurses attributed the highest importance on conformity and the least importance on power. For professional values and beliefs, they rated justice as highest importance and activism as least importance. Nurses rated the highest score regarding their role in providing care after donation. Nurses who worked in the critical care and neurological units had scores of personal values and beliefs, professional values and beliefs, and nurses’ roles significantly higher than those who worked in medical and surgical units. The findings indicate that nurses should be prepared to play more roles before and during this process.