Nurses and Organ Donation

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I am curious about what nurses think of this personal choice.

Do you want your organs donated, assuming they are viable, after your death? What about the organs of a loved one (if they had left no instructions)?

Does anyone think nurses (and other HCPs) should become organ donors to show an example to the public?

What do you think?

Please note: No, I am not asking if nurses should HAVE to donate organs.

Specializes in Hospice & Geriatrics.

I am an organ donor it is on my DL and I have a organ donor license plate. My whole family from the roots of my family tree to the top know what I want done with my organs, and vise versa I know where my husband stands he wants to go out in tact like he came in and I respect him for that, as far as my children I would donate their organs. I don't think HCP should do it as a good example it is a personal decision everyone has the right to make.

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I've been a donor all of my adult life, since long before I went into nursing. People are welcome to anything they can use once I'm gone!

I agree that I would like to see it be an "opt out" system rather than an "opt in" system -- that is, everyone is a donor unless they specify they're not.

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Specializes in ICU.

I am an organ donor but my husband does not wish to be. His choice and I respect that.

I do not like the idea of an "opt out" system though. Nobody has a right to my organs, they are a gift that I am willing to part with. No one should have to go to extra lengths to ensure their non-donor status is understood.

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Specializes in CVICU.
Absolutely. I work in heart transplant though, so I get to see the amazing benefits.

@cOntagion - unfortunately, many recipients are in their situation due to their situation in life and/or their choices. Doesn't make them any less worthy of a chance.. there is a strict process dictating who is approved for transplant eligibility, and compliance is a huge component. We had a patient with a history of drug use who had to go to NA, attend anger management classes, have clean urine/blood tox screens etc for a considerable period of time before he was ever listed.

Trust me, I know how people can turn their lives around. I also work on a heart transplant unit. I used to work on the unit that got the livers, kidneys, and pancreases too. I've seen people from all walks of life, ones who need organs related to poor lifestyle choices and ones who need them for reasons no fault of their own. I think that everyone deserves a second chance. Unfortunately, we've had a recent batch of patients who are non-compliant post-operatively, and IMHO, were not ready for transplants mentally.

For example, we currently have a patient who got a heart a few months ago. This patient needed a heart due to alcoholic cardiomyopathy. The docs were eager to transplant said patient even though the patient had recent admissions to another hospital related to drinking. We tried to convey this information to the transplant team, but one of the docs pushed it through to ok the patient for transplant. Guess what? The patient did terrible post-operatively... the patient will likely never see the outside of the hospital. Essentially, the only reason this person had not been drinking recently was because they had continuously been in the hospital for fluid overload since they never followed the prescribed low salt diet.

If a patient is not compliant pre-op with something like a low salt diet, why do we expect them to take all their meds after transplant?

I know there are strict criteria in place, but sometimes, I think people get too hurried when patients start decompensating quickly.

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Specializes in neurology, cardiology, ED.

I am a donor, have been since I've had a driver's license, however if it were up to me, and my family member had not left clear wishes, I would not choose organ donation for them...

I've seen what they put the donor's bodies through, and even though I know it's not "them" anymore, just their bodies- it's not something I would put any part of my loved one through without really knowing it's what they wanted. I don't know if that makes sense to anyone, but if you've seen it from the donor's end, I think it might...

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When I went through my EMT program, we were told that in the case of a major trauma we were to notify the receiving facility that we had an organ donor on the way so that they could prep the OR for the organ procurement team rather than the trauma team.

After that, I removed my donor status from my license but informed my loved ones that I wished to donate instead.

Unless paramedic units have additional capabilities from when I ran, this is very unlikely. To place an organ you need HIV, HCV and HBV at a minimum. You need as good a medical history as you can get from family members to determine if the organ is high risk. In addition you need to pronounce brain death by two independent physicians. Then you need to inform the gaining OPO and place the organs. All of this takes a considerable amount of time. The last case we did took three days to "prep the OR".

Organ donation should be an individual choice but in the United States your wishes have very little bearing.

David Carpenter, PA-C

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Specializes in Operating Room.
I am an organ donor but my husband does not wish to be. His choice and I respect that.

I do not like the idea of an "opt out" system though. Nobody has a right to my organs, they are a gift that I am willing to part with. No one should have to go to extra lengths to ensure their non-donor status is understood.

ITA...there is an assumption these days that someone donating organs is a given, the idea that this is a gift has gone by the wayside. I reached my opinion through personal experience of donating a loved ones' organs and by what I see in the OR.

Organ donation is a wonderful thing on paper but there is abuse that goes on...a few years ago in my state, they were offering $200 to anyone that would put an organ donor sticker on their license. That stopped after people complained. Then of course, there are the DCD(donation after cardiac death) cases. These people are not brain dead-they are ventilated. They pull the tube and the person is give 90 minutes to expire..with propofol and morphine supposedly to ease discomfort but in the words of one organ bank employee "sometimes we give a little help". This was said with a giggle, by the way. I was horrified when I first learned of these-sheesh, why not just push a pillow over someone's face? Probably cheaper and more humane.

I have seen the organ bank allow people in the room to watch at my previous hospital that did not need to be there(ie housekeepers and orderlies). I have heard highly unprofessional things said. When my loved one passed, some people in my family didn't want to donate the organs for religious/cultural reasons. One of the organ bank people rolled his eyes at them.

And of course, good money to be made(paticularly in bone and tissue harvesting).:icon_roll

I wouldn't worry-I don't think it'll ever go to an opt-out system. Too many people would fight tooth and nail if it did-me included. I have a living will and I have expressly spelled out that I do not want to donate my organs(in bold print;)) and that if I am not brain dead, I want everything done. I know the vultures start swooping early on when you've been hurt, I don't want anything unclear.

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I used to think I would, but ever since I was permanently banned from donating blood (which I used to do on a regular basis) for having lived in Germany in the early 80's (supposedly a risk for Mad Cow Disease - wow, very likely, especially since I'm a vegetarian!) I don't think I will. They probably wouldn't even want me to, I surmise. After all, who would risk getting a heart and Mad Cow Disease as a bonus? :icon_roll

DeLana

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Specializes in Cardiac.

Organ donor here. And everyone in my family.

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Outside of religious reasons, I have no idea why someone wouldn't want to be an organ donor. You're dead: you don't need them anymore. Give someone else a chance at life.

Obviously I am a donor. Take everything you can, and donate the rest of my body to science.

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Specializes in Acute Care Cardiac, Education, Prof Practice.
ITA...there is an assumption these days that someone donating organs is a given, the idea that this is a gift has gone by the wayside. I reached my opinion through personal experience of donating a loved ones' organs and by what I see in the OR.

Organ donation is a wonderful thing on paper but there is abuse that goes on...a few years ago in my state, they were offering $200 to anyone that would put an organ donor sticker on their license. That stopped after people complained. Then of course, there are the DCD(donation after cardiac death) cases. These people are not brain dead-they are ventilated. They pull the tube and the person is give 90 minutes to expire..with propofol and morphine supposedly to ease discomfort but in the words of one organ bank employee "sometimes we give a little help". This was said with a giggle, by the way. I was horrified when I first learned of these-sheesh, why not just push a pillow over someone's face? Probably cheaper and more humane.

I have seen the organ bank allow people in the room to watch at my previous hospital that did not need to be there(ie housekeepers and orderlies). I have heard highly unprofessional things said. When my loved one passed, some people in my family didn't want to donate the organs for religious/cultural reasons. One of the organ bank people rolled his eyes at them.

And of course, good money to be made(paticularly in bone and tissue harvesting).:icon_roll

I wouldn't worry-I don't think it'll ever go to an opt-out system. Too many people would fight tooth and nail if it did-me included. I have a living will and I have expressly spelled out that I do not want to donate my organs(in bold print;)) and that if I am not brain dead, I want everything done. I know the vultures start swooping early on when you've been hurt, I don't want anything unclear.

Thank you. I have not had the same experiences, but I have heard many similar stories and you summed up a lot of my own personal fears here.

I am not a donor, however I do intend to outline donation in my living will at some point, but it won't be with an orange sticker on my license.

Tait

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I'm definitely a donor if that time ever comes. I lost a sister in 2003 and would love the thought of her heart still beating somewhere... and I feel guilty that I didn't push my mother harder to wait for the transplant team then. So many people could have been helped. To those people who aren't donors, besides the OR nurse, would you be willing to tell us why?

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