**Organ Donation**

Nurses General Nursing

Published

  1. Will you donate your organs?

    • 123
      Yes, I am registered
    • 12
      No, I am not registered, but, plan to do so
    • 8
      No, I do not believe in this at all
    • 12
      I am undecided at this time

155 members have participated

Just wondering if many are registered anywhere?

Also, what do you think about this?

Specializes in 5 yrs OR, ASU Pre-Op 2 yr. ER.

I've scrubbed on harvests. The feeling afterwards is a mix of emotions that are hard to describe.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
I would never be an organ donor.

The system of organ donation itself is mercenary and cut-throat (no pun intended.)

Just the other day, I saw an ad on TV about a country (can't recall which one) where people's organs had been taken without their consent.

I have worked in ICU years ago and I personally know that if you are a donor, you will not be treated as aggressively as someone who is not a donor.

I have seen this with my own eyes and I know it to be a fact.

Then there is the issue of the co$t$ of the surgery; who is getting rich here? Organ donation is just that - DONATION.

Who is making the big bucks? Doctors, hospitals?

Something to think about...........:uhoh21:

Your experiences are vastly different from mine. Mine are exactly the other end of the pole vs. yours.

Did you personally care for the patient that received less than adequate care due to being a donor or did you get this 2nd-3rd hand?

Yes, some places outside the US are not kind about obtaining organs. So fine, don't give those countries your organs.

You can decline to be an organ donor because you or yours don't make money off of it, but that doesn't make it a good reason to let others die.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Yes. Speak with your spouse or parent, so that they know of your wishes. Even if your license says that you wish to donate, they still need your families consent.

Remember, you can't take it with you!!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I am an organ donor. I believe very strongly in it. We have had my father for 10 extra years this year because he received a heart transplant. It is on my drivers license and I am registered through CORE.

They talk about some of those misconceptions at the website.

http://www.core.org/04donmis.html

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Emergency & Trauma/Adult ICU.
Amen to that. From what I've heard, the subject of organ donation often isn't even broached until the patient is determined to be brain dead. I don't know how much more aggressively they could treat someone at that point.

It's a little different where I am. Being a level I trauma center, we have a very close working relationship w/our organ procurement agency. We nurses are encouraged to make the call to that agency when a patient reaches the point of "imminent death" or "grim prognosis" -- and those definitions can be pretty liberally interpreted.

However, I do not believe I have seen or even heard of any instance where last ditch efforts were withheld or modified, just to maintain the option of harvesting organs.

In my state, if you have indicated your organ donor status on your driver's license, that decision cannot be overridden by family.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
You can decline to be an organ donor because you or yours don't make money off of it, but that doesn't make it a good reason to let others die.

I didn't say that I wanted to make money off organ donation - I said that the money aspect of organ donation is one thing that bothers me about it.

People donate organs so others can live; yet the recipients have to come up with $$$$ to even be considered for surgery.....doesn't seem fair to me....just my opinion. This is a poll, after all.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Cath Lab, OR, CPHN/SN, ER.
Who is making the big bucks?

I think the rich one would be the person whose life is saved. I'm sorry you've had such bad experiences with the organ donation process.

I have made sure my family knows my wishes (no extreme measures to keep me alive, and to donate my organs). The little heart on my drivers license means nothing unless my family knows and is willing to respect that. :rolleyes: Thankfully, my husband is aware and would respect my wishes. Although my mother knows my wishes, I don't think she would be able to let go.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

My sister died a few weeks ago and her tissues were donated for transplant...organs were donated for research - because of a long down time after cardiac arrest, they weren't suitable for transplant. While we are just devastated by her death, we are also comforted by the fact that she gave an amazing Christmas gift to someone.

I do agree that "someone" is making big bucks off organ donation, but "someone" is also making big bucks off hip replacements, pneumonia, heart caths, etc...unfortunately, health care is expensive...what are you going to do?

We have a little girl in town that needed a liver transplant. Her sister was a perfect match for her and since you can function quite nicely with only part of a liver, she was a very willing donor. But, Medicaid will not pay for a living donor, so this poor little girl's condition deteriorated while her family had to wait for another child to die...what a horrible thought! She is a few months post transplant now and her family gives thanks every day that someone else was able to give such a gift while they suffered through a tragedy.

I can't imagine seeing someone I love die when donated organs could have saved their life...what a tragedy for everyone.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
I didn't say that I wanted to make money off organ donation - I said that the money aspect of organ donation is one thing that bothers me about it.

People donate organs so others can live; yet the recipients have to come up with $$$$ to even be considered for surgery.....doesn't seem fair to me....just my opinion. This is a poll, after all.

Okay, so you would let someone else die so that a doctor couldn't make money off the procedure?

You didn't answer my question. Was the organ donor that received bad care your patient or is this 2nd hand info?

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Okay, so you would let someone else die so that a doctor couldn't make money off the procedure?

You didn't answer my question. Was the organ donor that received bad care your patient or is this 2nd hand info?

It sucks, but no one gets health care for free...I hate the fact that a price is placed on someone's life, but again...what are you supposed to do?

I have never seen anyone get poor care or less care because they are a potential organ donor...that would be a huge violation of ethics and the trust placed in us as healthcare providers.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
It sucks, but no one gets health care for free...I hate the fact that a price is placed on someone's life, but again...what are you supposed to do?

I have never seen anyone get poor care or less care because they are a potential organ donor...that would be a huge violation of ethics and the trust placed in us as healthcare providers.

I agree. They have safeguards put into place for a reason. Are they foolproof? No, but to make it sound like it is common place for WE medical professionals to essentially "off" someone because another wants their organs is a huge mega slam against us all.

The cold hard reality is that medical care is not a right in the US. I'm not making claims one way or another if it should be a right but the bottom line is that it is not a right.

BTW... Let us not forget one thing here. On the topic of health care dollars, in the SW US there are more illegal aliens on welfare now than there are US citizens on welfare. So there is a reason our health care dollars are soooo expensive and it isn't because ANYONE is making too much money. Arizona and Texas are currently in a state of emergency now due to illegals and social services such as jails, education system, medical care, police services, court systems, etc.,. Nevada and California are running a close 2nd.

So let's put the blame for health care costs where it belongs and it isn't organ transplants.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in CCU (Coronary Care); Clinical Research.

I too am an organ donor...registered through the state. I think that it is crazy that family can override that decision, when it is obviously my decision to register and have it placed on my license...I have seen the patients decision overridden a few times and it always makes me kind of sad...

We have "qualified" people that speak with the families duirng this time (I am not one of them...). They have to go through a training course. We usually talk with the families when death is becoming iminent and we make sure that we are on the phone with the donor line (even if we talk with the donor line the family can obviously still refuse...but there is no point in talking about it with the family if the patient can't be a donor, so we try to get it out of the way first). Many people just seem to be able to donate their corneas in my unit. I usually don't see any change in care or the aggressiveness in treatment of this patient- other than if the patient has to be "alive"...then we may keep the vent on vs. turning it off or keep the heart pumping (however, since I work in a cardiac unit, most deaths are cardiac deaths and not brain deaths so we don't have many "live" donations). I can only think of one or two patients that arrested at home and had no brain function but their heart continued to function and these people were considered for the full organ donation...

A few years back we had a younger boy (mabye 18 or so)- an athlete- that was in a very tragic car accident...it wasn't at my hospital, but his family did end up donating almost all of his organs to others...the organ donation people sent the family a thank you letter and told them that about 10 or more peoples lives were saved due to their selfless donation...we had copies of the letter at our hospital and it was so nicely written...I can't even imagine having made that choice but to know that so many others were saved would have made me feel good had it been my child...

I do think that in some places the process could be better...and that there needs to be more public knowledge about what goes on so people can make an informed decision before they get to the point of their loved one being in the hospital...

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Add a Comment