Cadaveric donotransplantation: nurses' attitudes, knowledge and behaviour

Human organ transplantation is an important treatment for certain medical c onditions, and for irreversible organ failure. There is a shortfall in the number of organs required for transplantation. The close and continuous pro ximity of nurses to potential donors and their families make them critical links in the organ donation process. Therefore, success in organ procuremen t may depend on nurses' awareness and integration of knowledge about donotr ansplantation (the process of organ/tissue donation and transplantation). P ostal questionnaires were distributed throughout the United Kingdom (UK) to 2465 registered nurses, to assess their personal attitudes, knowledge and behaviour regarding cadaveric donotransplantation. One thousand, three hund red and thirty-three questionnaires were returned, a response rate of 54%. Overall, nurses held positive attitudes to donotransplantation, with 78% ag reeing with organ donation and only 10% clearly being opposed. However, nur ses were found to share ambivalent attitudes of altruism and fear which app ear to surround decisions about donation. Factor analysis was used to furth er explore nurses' attitude structure. Six factors were confirmed providing a non-significant likelihood ratio fit (P = 0.468) and a well reproduced c orrelation matrix. The factors related to: (1) the value and contribution m ade by donotransplantation; (2) the unique idea of having another's tissue in one's own body; (3) the importance of organ donation; (4) the individual 's moral, and nurses' professional rejection of the responsibility for orga n/tissue donation; (5) the post-mortem mutilation of the body; and, (6) the potential distress donation may cause a bereaved family. Comparisons were made between certain of nurses' specialist groups and significant differenc es were found. Comparisons of factor scores between certain specialist grou ps or other strata were assessed by analysis of variance. Nurses working in renal units were significantly more in favour of donotransplantation than any other group of nurses. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserv ed.