Learning Objective #1: Identify barriers preventing the early referral of potential organ donors by nurses

Learning Objective #2: Describe an evidence-based methodology in educating nurses in areas of neurological insult and brain death, family interaction and the growing field of organ transplantation

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INTRODUCTION. The lack of organs viable for transplantation is a significant public health issue. Over 80,000 people in the United States are currently are on the organ transplant list; unfortunately, every one hour and 16 minutes someone dies waiting (The National Donor Awareness Foundation, 2004). It has been determined that, for organ donation to increase, hospital staff must support the donation process (The Executive Summary of The Organ Donation Breakthrough Collaborative: Best Practices Final Report -2003). To enhance this effort, barriers to early referral of patients by nurses must be identified and addressed.

PURPOSE. To identify barriers common to nurses that may prevent timely identification and referral of potential organ donor patients, thus inhibiting an increase in donor conversion rates.

METHODS. A triangulated qualitative/quantitative survey was developed to study 50 critical care nurses working at Level 1 trauma centers. The study includes the completion of ten open-ended survey questions, based on available literature regarding nurses and organ donation and the experiences of staff from the Organ Procurement Organization, as well as a survey of demographic data of the participants

CONCLUSIONS. This poster presentation will include the themes and patterns of the nurses' responses. Focus will be on interpreting data to understand relationships between the nursing profession and the referral of potential organ donors to the Organ Procurement Organization. Correlational relationships between demographic data and early referral of potential organ donors will also be analyzed.

IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE. Defining barriers that occur in the nursing profession regarding referral of potential organ donors can be used to help develop future curriculums in undergraduate nursing schools; the research may also be shared with Organ Procurement Organizations, to be used in their hospital development curriculums.