Experiences and expectations of nurses in caring for organ donors and their families

Abstract

Objective: Understand the experiences and expectations of intensive care unit nurses in caring for organ donors and their families. Method: Qualitative research, with a social phenomenological approach, conducted in 2013 with 20 nurses. Results: The experiences of the nurses with the families of donors were represented by two categories: obstacles encountered and interventions performed in the care of the donors' families. The expectations of these professionals in caring for organ donors and their families were described in the category: care to save lives. Conclusion: The study showed that the day-to-day work of intensive care nurses in their care of organ donors and their families is permeated with obstacles that interfere in the donation process. In light of this, their goal is to provide intensive care to deceased donors and humanized care to the families, to help family members agree to organ donation and enable organs to be made available for transplants.