ICU Nurses’ Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice Towards their Role in the Organ Donation Process from Brain-Dead Patients and Factors Influencing it in Iran

BACKGROUND: Nowadays, ICU nurses play a significant role in the care of brain-dead patients and their families. Therefore, their knowledge, attitude and practice towards this issue are extremely important to the success of organ donation. OBJECTIVE: To assess ICU nurses’ knowledge, attitude and practice towards their role in the organ donation process from brain-dead patients and factors influencing it in Iran. METHODS: In a cross-sectional analytical study, 90 ICU nurses working in Ghaem and Emam Reza Hospitals affiliated to Mashhad University of Medical Sciences were selected through a stratified random sampling. Data were collected from the participants by a questionnaire included demographic information, and factors influencing the nurses knowledge, attitude, and practice towards their roles in the organ donation process. RESULTS: 90 nurses participated in this study. 70% of the research subjects had spoken with their own families about organ donation; 20% had organ donation cards. The mean±SD score of nurses’ knowledge was 49.13±9.6, attitude 21.49±14.32, and practice was 3.66±6.04. 80% of nurses had a mean knowledge about their roles in the organ donation process; 82% agreed with their roles in this process, and 97% showed weak practice in this regard. CONCLUSION: Nurses did not have adequate knowledge, attitude, and practice towards their role in organ donation process. It is suggested to include nursing courses on the organ donation process and organ transplantation as well as educational programs to acquaint nurses with their roles in the organ donation process.