Question about organ donation.

Spoiled627 · Jan 28, 2009

The reason I decided to be a nurse is to help people. I cant imagine myself not doing all I can to save someone just because they are organ donors. It's not ethical or legal to do something like that. BE AN ORGAN DONOR! you don't know what a difference you will make! Also, DONATE BLOOD!!! I'm so happy I do both!

southern rn · Jan 28, 2009

The doctors would have no way of knowing you are an organ donor unless you are at the point of being one;it's not like they check everyone's driver's license before deciding treatment. If being an organ donor is something you feel comfortable with, then by all means sign the back of your license. The way I look at it, when I die it's not like I will need them anymore lol.

WalkieTalkie, RN · Jan 28, 2009

NOT TRUE AT ALL! In fact, we probably work harder to save you, especially when you consider how much effort is put into saving a patient who is this sick. We do everything we can to save this type of patient's life. Generally, we don't even know the patient's organ donation status when we are treating them anyway.

In addition, make sure you discuss this with your family, because in a lot of states, families can override someone's wishes even if it is listed on their license.

I have actually had patients who are brain dead and waiting for a team to arrive to take their organs. It was pretty amazing that after one of these patients went down for the organ retrieval, I got the patient who received one of his kidneys the next day! I got a letter which said "Thank you for caring for Mr. So and so... We placed his kidneys and tissues into x amount of patients." It made me feel really good about a really bad situation for another family who had just lost their dad.

Kymmi · Jan 28, 2009

I work in ICU and we have organ donors often. I can tell you that up until that patient is declared brain dead we do everything possible. Often times we have no idea whether or not that person desires to be a organ donor until they are declared brain dead and the family informs us. Our policy is to notify lifelink on every patient that is declared brain dead or any patient that we plan on terminally extubating....lifelink then contacts the family and discusses organ donation with them and then lifelink informs us whether the patient is a candidate or not.

In reality make sure your family or next of kin knows your wishes also because they will be contacted by the organ donation agency also.

Until and unless you are declared brain dead no organs can be harvested.

Give the gift of life..........We receive updates on people that have received organs from our patients and its so heartwarming to see pictures and read letters from people living life to the fullest who have been given a second chance.

AlabamaBelle · Jan 28, 2009

I work in Peds ICU. We do everything we can to keep someone alive, doesn't matter about organ donation status. When a child meets "clinical triggers", the organ procurement agency is notified. They do the approaching, not us. We are too busy trying to save a life. If we feel our efforts are futile, an Ethics consult is made and things progress from that point with the family being fully informed of the bleak outcome.

I've also been on the Trained Requestor Team. Every effort is made to keep the patient alive. However, if the decision is made to donate, oftentimes, care becomes more intense to preserve the organs in the most viable state possible.

sbyramRN · Jan 28, 2009

]I searched the forum about this, but I did not find the answer to the question I have. I am not currently an organ donor, but I did want to be one and decided against it. It's almost time for me to get my driver's license redone and I'm again considering becoming one, but I do have a question (this is what caused me not to do it the first time). I've heard (and not from any doctors or nurses) that when a patient is an organ donor that doctors don't try as hard as they normally would to save the patient. Is this true? It may be naive, but I really want to know whether or not there is any truth to that or if it's just something people say to scare people from choosing that simply because they don't want their loved one to do that.

I am sorry, but this is the silliest thing I have heard in a long time. My mother made this comment once, and I was totally blown away...Can you imagine "oh, he/she is an organ donor.... don't touch them. Let them die so someone else can live." It just doesn't make sense. :chuckle

queenjean · Jan 28, 2009

I'm shocked that people think this.

tryingtohaveitall · Jan 28, 2009

I want to second WarEagle4Life's comment about having to work very hard to preserve the integrity of the organs. To reiterate, it is completely unfounded to think drs and nurses wouldn't try as hard. It's a shame this falacy is still out there.

xlilchatonx · Jan 28, 2009

Thank you all so much for answering. It is something I always wanted to do and I honestly can't remember who told me that and I wish I could remember, but I bet it was a family member who didn't want to think of me as being cut up and having my body parts taken after death, so told me that to scare me. I didn't even realize that when a patient comes in that you wouldn't know if they were one or not lol.

Now here is another question I have that I learned from a family member. My great aunt donated her organs when she died (her husband was still alive when she passed) and the hospital if I remember correctly had charged her husband for the surgery to donate (I believe for the harvest) and that was another reason I decided not to, because my family wouldn't have the money for that. And I don't know how true this is, I should also mention that this was in the 80's so things definitely may have changed since then, but I just want to be informed about the process if it's going to be something I decided to know KWIM?

Thanks everyone for being answering my questions and helping me to make an informed decision. It's truly something I would like to do and I want to know the facts. :redpinkhe

tryingtohaveitall · Jan 28, 2009

Completely untrue that the family is charged. Actually, once the donor is declared brain dead and the process begun to donate, there is an entirely new account started to which everything is billed. Theoretically, the final costs could be lower to the family.

xlilchatonx · Jan 28, 2009

Okay thank you. That is what I was HOPING, I couldn't see it being otherwise, ya know?