Organ Donation: The Nurse's Role

Every day, an average of 13 people in the United States die waiting for an organ transplant. Behind that statistic are real patients, real families, and real opportunities that nurses are uniquely positioned to influence. This course examines the nurse’s critical and multifaceted role throughout the organ donation process, beginning with the regulatory and organizational framework that governs deceased donation in the United States. Learners will explore the two primary pathways to deceased donation — donation after neurologic determination of death and donation after circulatory death — and the clinical, ethical, and logistical distinctions between them. From recognizing a potential donor and initiating the referral process to supporting families through devastating loss, communicating with compassion and clarity, and executing the complex clinical management required to preserve organ viability, nurses are essential partners in donation success. This course emphasizes practical, practice-ready knowledge that nurses can apply regardless of care setting, helping to close the persistent gap between organ supply and the more than 100,000 patients who remain on the national transplant waiting list.