The roles of nurses to augment organ donation and transplantation: a survey of nursing students.

BACKGROUND

Insufficiency in organ donation from cadavers is a worldwide problem. In Turkey, sufficient numbers of organs from cadavers are not available for transplantation; this situation had led to the further growth in the gap between the demand for and availability of organs for transplantation.

PURPOSE OF STUDY

To determine the opinions and approaches of nursing students about the roles of nurses to augment organ donation and transplantation.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This descriptive research sampled 309 nursing students using a form including 21 questions generated from a related literature view. Written consent was obtained from the participants. The data were analyzed for percent distributions by SPSS for Windows 11 software.

RESULTS

Nursing students as future health professionals were aware of the roles and responsibilities of nurses to augment organ donation and transplantation. According to the opinions of nursing students, the roles of nurses could be classified as "raising public awareness," "care for recipient, donor, and their families," "conducting research," "supporting related organizations," and "being a role model for the public."

CONCLUSIONS

The responsibilities of nurses to augment organ donation and transplantation are not limited to intensive care units, emergency units, as well as dialysis and hospital patients. The nursing workforce can also be utilized to generate public awareness.