'Moral values' and organ donation

Nurses General Nursing

Published

Ok, I know that organ donation has been discussed here more than once, but I couldn't find anything that addressed my particular question/issue........so here goes.

In this year's presidential election, many of the exit polls showed that people voted based on their "family/moral values." It seems they (not me!) voted for Bush because they felt he stood for those values, especially in regards to gay marriage, abortion, etc. I was very distraught after the election because I hear these people talking but I don't see these people taking moral action! Organ donation is just one of the areas that angers me.

How can the majority of this country stand on such moral high-ground and then show such PATHETIC organ donation numbers? People are dying because they can't get an organ when there are plenty available, but they get buried with the patient! How can you proclaim to be such a good person with such high moral values when you aren't even willing to donate your or your family's organs in the event of their death? I really don't see that as being a whole lot less than murder.

I'm not even a nurse yet, so I'm not right in the middle of this yet, but I do dread it! Anyway, this is just something that disturbs me deeply and I wanted to get your take on it, especially those of you, if any, that are not willing to donate. I'd like an explanation!

Specializes in LDRP; Education.
How do you know that all those voters who voted "values" aren't organ donors? I think you are making a sweeping generalization based on how many people actually donate and ascribing it to voters who voted values.

This is a very personal and private decision and being chastized isn't going to help encourage people to donate.

Agree!!

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Having worked almost exclusively in Neuro ICU - one of the leading areas that produces organ donors - I completely disagree with the "doctors will let people die just to get their organs" mentality. If anything, I've found the opposite to be true where the docs delay brain death testing and the patient often experiences cardiac death before brain death is declared. It's just one of the many misconceptions that contribute to the low numbers of organ donors.

To the OP, another factor that I personally believe contributes to the lack of successful organ donors is that the patients' families ultimately decide whether or not to make their loved one a donor. People just don't seem to make their wishes known to their families, and even if they've signed their driver's license, the family may not know about it until it's too late.

If you want to increase awareness, educate those around you about the reality of organ donation and do what you can to dispel the myths. Here's a good place to start:

http://www.unos.org

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Having worked almost exclusively in Neuro ICU - one of the leading areas that produces organ donors - I completely disagree with the "doctors will let people die just to get their organs" mentality. If anything, I've found the opposite to be true where the docs delay brain death testing and the patient often experiences cardiac death before brain death is declared. It's just one of the many misconceptions that contribute to the low numbers of organ donors.

To the OP, another factor that I personally believe contributes to the lack of successful organ donors is that the patients' families ultimately decide whether or not to make their loved one a donor. People just don't seem to make their wishes known to their families, and even if they've signed their driver's license, the family may not know about it until it's too late.

If you want to increase awareness, educate those around you about the reality of organ donation and do what you can to dispel the myths. Here's a good place to start:

http://www.unos.org

This is exactly the way to change people's minds about donation . . . rather than browbeating them. Thanks so much.

steph

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This is exactly the way to change people's minds about donation . . . rather than browbeating them. Thanks so much.

steph

You're welcome! :)

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Here is the Nicholas Green website where you can meet the folks who benefitted from his parent's decision to donate his organs.

http://www.nicholasgreen.org/reg_message.html

steph

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Thank you all for your responses. I totally agree that it is a personal decision. I don't care whether we go the opt-out or opt-in route because either gives people the opportunity to make their wishes known. I'm not really trying to judge people for not donating, although it's really hard not to. I'm not generalizing either - I'm not saying that all who voted for Bush refuse to donate. However, if you look at the numbers, I think it's fair to make a general statement that people don't donate very often.

What I don't understand is how can you be concerned about whether gays are getting married (one example) or not when people are dying on the waiting list? Why is our country focused on such minor details when the big things are just sliding by unnoticed? I understand that the organ donation network/process is not perfect. Can you name any national organization that is? That doesn't mean that they are not worthy causes, though.

So, if you are not willing to donate, would you expect to get an organ if you or someone you loved needed it? If so, then isn't that a double standard?

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I believe organ donation is a very personal private decision and like Deb I refuse to judge others on their feelings on this issue.

Lets just say I have some moral and concerns with how the organ and tissue donation/transplant industry operates and have reservations about where it may lead in the future.This from someone who has worked in the healthcare industry for 30 yrs. My reasons are very personal and I don't wish to get into it on a public forum.

I would tend to agree also. We live during a period where babies are being aborted in many Third World countries, China, and Eastern Europe, and sold for medical research and/or parts to medical facilities in the United States and elsewhere.

I also believe this is a private matter and a person's religious/cultural beliefs may even prohibit organ/part donation.

robsta

:)

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By the way, I didn't start this thread to change anyone's minds, so I just didn't see any reason to put sugar-coating on my feelings on this matter. I'm so sorry if I offended anyone. Obviously, if I were trying to convince people to donate, I would not let my true feelings about the issue known. One of my many faults is being painfully honest. I'm not trying to browbeat any of you. I have a great deal of respect for all of you and kind of think of you as people I can be honest with. Don't take it so hard. This is just one of those little things that eats on me and I wanted to get your views on it.

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The person at the DMV told me not to check off organ donor on my driver's liscence because, he said, that would make the doctor less willing to save your life.
This statement by the 'medical professional' at the DMV is totally wrong and infuriates me, to say the least.

I have been witness to organ donation in my ICU. The doctors are mostly impartial, and at times reluctant to involve the organ network. Although inappropriate IMO, a few docs don't like the idea of releasing control of their patient. This comes from the resulting 'change in command' when a patient is converted to organ donor status, the RN's from the organ network come in and take complete control over the patient's care. They write orders and consults until the dontation process is completed - which, BTW can take 12-24hrs or more. It's not "instant". We aren't killing people to take their organs, as some lay people tend to imagine.

It is, in fact, a very difficult ordeal for ALL involved - from the family, nurses caring for the patient, the doctor that must tell the family of their loved one's BRAIN DEATH. It's a very involved and time-consuming process that no one takes light-heartedly.

From this extreme sadness comes happiness. The Midwest Organ Transplant Network sends our facility a report on what happens to a patient's organs, or GIFTS as we like to call them. We don't get names, of course...but, we get to find out ages and general area of the country where the gifts ended up.

Responding to the post about the misuse of organs, etc.: When the family signs consent to organ donation, they sign away any rights to decision-making regarding the organs. It's difficult to say what may have exactly happened in the two cases described. When the teenager's organs were not used, maybe it wasn't discovered that they were unusable until they were removed...who knows? With the brain cancer patient, maybe it was thought that the brain cancer was PRIMARY and not secondary mets. Dunno what happened there either. I had always thought that CA made people ineligible to be donors.

It really saddens me when a patient has previously signed up to be an organ donor (ie:driver's license) and then the family becomes involved and elects NOT TO sign consent for that patient to be an organ donor. As nurses, we see the same things happen with DNR patients all the time. It's just shameful to disregard the final wishes of the dying IMO.

Personally, I am willing to be an organ donor. My husband does not want to be one. (yes, we've had this discussion too.) However, no matter how strongly I feel about donating organs, I would respect my husband's wishes if that time ever comes. He would do the same for me. (I told him I'd come back and haunt him if he doesn't!! :chuckle )

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By the way, I didn't start this thread to change anyone's minds, so I just didn't see any reason to put sugar-coating on my feelings on this matter. I'm so sorry if I offended anyone. Obviously, if I were trying to convince people to donate, I would not let my true feelings about the issue known. One of my many faults is being painfully honest. I'm not trying to browbeat any of you. I have a great deal of respect for all of you and kind of think of you as people I can be honest with. Don't take it so hard. This is just one of those little things that eats on me and I wanted to get your views on it.

You asked an honest question and got some honest answers is all. At this point in my life I am not a donor and have no plans to be.

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I also believe it's a private personal matter.

I've always felt in the past that God gave me what he wanted me to have, and I'm going to keep it no matter what, even after I die.

For MYSELF, I don't think I would want to accept an organ donation. If I'm sick and needing an organ, I think I'd just as soon live out my life naturally, as to take the chance on getting an organ that could be diseased also. Like the one above who got it from a cancer patient. That's just unreal. They didn't help those people at all. Put them thru all that for nothing.

But who knows how I would feel, say if my grandchild became sick and needed an organ?

As for voting for Bush, I did vote for him, but I didn't like either canidate.

I just felt like maybe he was the lesser of 2 evils.

Just MHO.

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Hey, thanks to whoever it was that referred me to http://www.unos.org. I've been reading the memorials for the past hour or so at http://www.donormemorial.org and some of them are just heartwrenching. Gives me chills. I realize it's a difficult decision and I would certainly honor his wishes if my husband chose not to give. I, too, hate that when people go against the wishes of the dying person. I would never do that.

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