This is an important initative. What an appropiate suggestion to provide the needed understanding to the  staff who will care for the patients as well as support the decision making.

Count me strongly in favor..

Thank you for the opportunity to submit an online opinion on this topic.  I currently serve as president of two West Virginia hospitals (Hampshire Memorial Hospital in Romney WV served by CORE) and War Memorial Hospital in Berkeley Springs WV served by LifeNet Health).  Our parent organization is Valley Health headquartered in WInchester Virgina.

Previously in my career I worked fulltime for fourteen years in the fields of donation and transplantation.  I have provided several hundred educational programs on this topic in nursing schools, hospital settings, public arenas and through the media.  As a registered nurse for the past 27 years with a masters degree in education, I can attest to the critical need for consistent and accurate information to be transmitted to student nurses.  As one of the most the critical links between patients, families, care providers and directors, support agents and procurement agencies - nurses must possess skills that are enhanced with information in order to facilitate informed decision discussions.  Starting that knowledge base at the training level creates a lens through which maturing nurses will view their practices for years to come.

I firmly and wholly support a standardized curriculum content for organ, tissue and eye donation to be included in the training of student nurses and submit that the content be created with the coordinated effort of the procurement agencies serving the Commonwealth.

Thank you for this opportunity to comment and for the even larger opportunity for student nurses to hear about this topic during their training.  The impact of discussions on this topic crosses so many disciplines (critical care management, psycho-social resource engagement, emotional assessment and support, public health considerations, faith-based issues and more) that the benefits of implementing this education will be amazing for the students and comforting to families who are face with hard choices during vulnerable times with nurses standing at their sides who are armed with perspectives that were gained through education with consequence.

Neil R McLaughlin, RN, BS, MEd, MBA - President, War Memorial Hospital and Hampshire Memorial Hospital

I am a Regional Hospital Development Coordinator for an Organ Procurement Organization. One of my jobs is to educate hospital staff on when to call the OPO when a pt. has met certain clinical indicators. I am also a parent who had a daughter on the waiting list for over 5 years.

In the 8 years I have been in this job, I have been shocked at how many hospital staff do not understand or have a basis of understanding regarding organ donation.

Reaching the nursing population is essential. They are the ones on the front lines that can make a huge difference.

Robbie H. Key  RN  CLNC

LifeNet Health

Regional Hospital Development Coordinator

Being a nurse for 26 years I have seen the need for organ donation education in the nursing community.  Many nurses possess biases regarding donation and often take the opportunity to share this with pts and families. Many of these opinions are non educated and not factual. Often the opinions given to our community sway the family to opt out of donation and they turn a deaf ear to the OPO trying to give additional information.I have also seen the families go against the wishes of the individual and decide not to donate.  Even though theses wishes were expressed by the individual prior to death; through DMV registration or personal expressions to family and friends. Organ donation is only mentioned in the current cirriculums for nursing schools.  If the RN desires more information then this may be done on their own. OPOs given information to hospitals and give opportunities for education.  Often the RN will not take this opportunity to get this further education due to personal experiences or biases. The education presented by the nursing schools would be mandatory and beneficial. 

I am a registered nurse and a donor family member.  It is very necessary for education to be provided for nurses so they can be a vital part of the team to discuss donation with families.  As this knowledge is shared the families can be assisted to make a better decision with the vital caregiver by their side to answer questions and support.  Count me in as a supporter of this.

I am very much in support for organ donation education.  I have worked many years with nursing students in the clinical setting, who either had no education on who can donate etc or non factual information. They definitely were not ready to deal with a patient and family in this time of crisis.

As a Organ Donor Mom, I have spoke before our local community college nursing students about my my personal experience in the loss of my daughter along with a Life Net Health representative, who was able to give pertinent  and update information to the students.

This curriculum should  be offered to all nursing students prior to graduation.  We have had too  many missed opportunities either because nursing staff was misinformed or not prepared enough.  It can be a very difficult decision for a family to have to make and we need the best support and resources possible at this critical time.

Thank you,   

Judy Hampton, RN                                                                             

I am very much in support for organ donation education.  I have worked many years with nursing students in the clinical setting, who either had no education on who can donate etc or non factual information. They definitely were not ready to deal with a patient and family in this time of crisis.

As a Organ Donor Mom, I have spoke before our local community college nursing students about my my personal experience in the loss of my daughter along with a Life Net Health representative, who was able to give pertinent  and update information to the students.

This curriculum should  be offered to all nursing students prior to graduation.  We have had too  many missed opportunities either because nursing staff was misinformed or not prepared enough.  It can be a very difficult decision for a family to have to make and we need the best support and resources possible at this critical time.

Thank you,   

Judy Hampton, RN                                                                             

Organ donation is compelling topic for many, and a repulsive one for others.  The availability of factual informatiion on tissue donation, however,  is obviously advantageous to the patient in need (for whom we are ultimately concerned).  Nurses on the 'front lines', fighting death and disease, need knowledge to make informed decisions on this topic, and to support the thought process of others in the position to consider tissue donation.  I support the addition of this teaching in nursing schools.

Ms. Mumaw's previous comment echos my own sentiment.  Nurses in the clinical setting have an established relationship with family members who may be the organ donation decision makers.  If that nurse does not have accurate knowledge of organ donation, his/her bias may be passed on to the family, causing a missed opportunity for life-saving donation, especially when the patient's own wishes have not been discussed. 

Providing good education and standardizing that education across the state will provide many opportunities for increasing donor advocacy.  Nurses' accurate knowledge has the potential to impact their own family and community, as well as in their work setting.   

Every opportunity must be taken to increase awareness of the desperate need for organ and tissue donation.  Having a "hit or miss" donation education while in school, or none, impacts compliance with hospital policy regarding organ donation once they are hired in the clinical setting.  I fully support including required coursework in organ donation for nursing students.

I wholeheartedly support standarized education for nursing students on donation. I believe educaiton for everyone would be a benefit so I think starting somewhere is very important. I recently experienced a family member going through organ donation and I am a great supporter of it. A standarized education program for nursing students would give them a clearer understanding prior to graduating and having to deal with a particular situation. It would also help them as a nursing student if they were taking care of  a patient that may be a donor

As a donor sister and a transplant recipient, I know the importance of the role of nurses in the organ donation process.  For many families, such as mine, the death of a loved one is often the first time they think about organ donation. We find ourselves in the middle of a difficult process at the worst possible time in our lives. That experience can be a positive, uplifting experience or it can be a waking nightmare depending on the knowledge and experience of the nursing staff and depending on how well they work with the OPO staff.  I've met other donor family members and for many of them the process was easy and "seamless."  My family didn't have that experience (in another state), but organ donation is the only blessing that came from my brother's death.

It's also important to me to know that when my time comes, my nursing staff will do what they can to uphold my wish to be a donor. I've made this decision for myself and if I can be a donor, then I want to know that my nursing staff will do everything necessary to respect my wishes and, if possible, to make that happen for me.

Please include Organ Donation Education in the Virginia curriculum for nurses so this important piece will become a standard continuum of care for all Virginians.  An educated nurse will make a difference for their patients, their patients' families and for the hundred thousand patients who wait for a transplant.

Thank you,  Patti Dean

Organ donation is a patient's right and his last gift and legacy. This right should be respected by nurses and awareness for how important this kind of work is has to begin at the student level.

It is easy to see how opportunities for organ donation could be missed in the "busyness" of our daily work. But we should not make this a reason for not respecting a person's last wish.

I support the inclusion of organ, eye and tissue donation as part of the nursing curriculum.

"Standard education would improve hospital performance and ultimately save lives."

No one in this day and age should die, simply because someone didn't know a phone call could save a life. 

Commenting in favor of education for all healthcare providers.

Anissa Cole, RRT, CPTC

As a friend of several people who have been fortunate to be donor receipients, I support additional education of this subject.  In addition, I have been a friend of a family who chose donation of their loved one's organs.  It was a healing and beneficial process for both sides.  Please support additional education for nurses who play a vital role in this process.  Thank you.

I am strongly in favor of this initative.  As a volunteer I've been asked to do presentaitons to classes such as these, and in everyone the knowledge they gain is invaluable in how they see their patients.  I think this is a great initiative.

As the father of a teenage organ donor in 2002, who saved the lives of five people, I have seen first-hand the positive benefits of organ and tissue donation.  Since then, I have had nothing but positive experiences in dealing with others who have been affected in some way by organ and tissue donation, either as a recipient, a donor family member, or a health-care provider, such as a nurse or doctor.  However, there is still much work to do in this field, and I encourage you to consider making the necessary rulemaking changes in order to continue saving more lives and restoring health through the process of organ and tissue donation.

Why NOT educate medical personnel about this subject? I strongly encourage it. The more that people are educated the better. Nurses are often questioned about many, many different subjects and should be prepared as much as possible to give patients the correct information. Educate the nurse so she can properly, correctly educate the patients and their families. Thanks.

I'm a recipient of a heart transplant in 1999.  The more education the nurses have the better since they are the ones who spend 95% of the time with the patients.  This is a no-brainer.

KB 

I feel strongly that course work on organ, eye and tissue donation should be added to the course work for training nurses.  My husband was an eye and tissue donor.  It amazed me how little I knew about the subject, and that my friends knew next to nothing as well.  Nurses will be an integral and compassionate part of the team that helps families understand such donations during a time that is so difficult for them.

As the spouse of a kidney receipient, I think it is imperative that nurses receive the proper training during their education since they are likely to be the Professional who will be on the front line when families are trying to make decisions concerning their loved one and making choices concerning Tissue and Organ Donation.  No time can be more difficult for families, they  need and deserve the guidance, support and proper education to in order to make the correct choice. 

As a donor cousin and niece, I personally feel the nurses role in the organ donation process is very important. The death of a loved one is often the first time a family thinks abouts or realizes the possibility of donation. A nurse that has been involved with the family may help ease the families fears. The nore they know about the process from beginning to the end could help them to assist the family.

Please include Organ Donation Education in the Virginia curriculum for nurses so this important piece will become a standard continuum of care for all Virginians. 

Sincerely,

Davaline  Perry

Our nursing program curriculum does include course work on Organ Donation and it is found in several courses within the program. I support this regulation requiring that nursing programs include course work in organ donation within their curriculum. However, I don't think we can assume this will be the "fix; we need to continuously educate staff and facilities about this. As noted in Mr. Jankiewicz's letter, many hospitals provide information during orientation, but have no follow-up plan once the nurse begins patient care. This needs to be a push also.

It is very important for hospital staff to be educated about organ, eye and tissue donation.  They are the key people to make the donation process work.  There are too many myths and missconceptions that have been around for years.   I know first hand that the correct process has to be followed and  necessary for not only the hospital staff, but for the donor families too.

As a nurse educator, I would like comment in opposition to this petition as it puts undue requirements for a very specialized area onto already packed nursing curricula.  The more appropriate placement for this education is in the workplace where organ donation and procurement occurs.  R Hills

I am in favor of this initiative. We have taught this content in out acute care course for at least the last 10 years. It is an end-of-life issue that nurses are often involved in and need to be more aware of as care providers. 

I am ambivalent about making such education "mandatory" through the auspices of the State Board of Nursing.   Nursing educators care deeply about such matters; bring it to their attention but please do not tack on one more mandatory item.  Encourage but don't set up a framewotk for more oversight.   I wonder how many nurses do get this type of information through their didactic courses in nursing school but do not take the initiative for continuing education around this subject?   I know that certain hospital systems include a mandatory training for its new nurse hires regarding organ donor education.   Perhaps this wonderful idea should actually be included in the "Undergraduate" and "Graduate" "Essentials" rather than become something that has to be monitored by the State Board of Nursing.  It's a thought. 

I would like to comment on behalf of our organization, LifeNet Health, the federally designated organ procurement organization for most of Virginia on this petition.

The petition for rulemaking was submitted on behalf of nurses that approached our organization inquiring why there was no standardized training for nurses currently being provided regarding organ, eye and tissue donation in Virginia. Every nurse will be encountering the CMS required "referral of all deaths and all imminent deaths to the OPO" in their work environments. Currently some nursing schools are offering coursework on the topics but others are not.

Our organization provides education within hospitals, communities, high schools and selected nursing programs that have facilitated presentations to their nursing students. However, still today 18 Americans die because a life saving organ does not become available and transplantable organs are buried because a clinical trigger for referral was not identified and referrals are missed.

The nursing curriculum is surely comprehensive and the requirements numerous, but this education would benefit each nursing student and the knowledge acquired would be utilized by each nurse when entering the workforce. Our organization is prepared to assist nursing schools with the development of the curriculum and would provide resources to facilitate the education. This education can literally save lifes. 

On behalf of the 114,000 Americans currently waiting for a life saving organ please consider the implementation of required coursework on organ, eye and tissue donation.

As a current RN-BSN student I feel that my professors do a wonderful job integrating current healthcare topics such as organ donation, genetics, etc. into the curricula without the added requirement of specialty training. This is often taught in an activity/interactive lesson and is extremely beneficial to assist nurses to be aware of current trends in nursing and healthcare. I feel that Specialty training (such as organ procurement) is best left to the organizations that will be required to perform that function. I feel that continuing education opportunities through specialty nursing associations and unit/hospital orientation should include materials such as training for recognition and specialty procedures.

             Nursing is such a broad professional that it is virtually impossible to cover every potential specialty in the basic nursing education. Additional requirements for nursing educators only limit the autonomy of the educational facilities to train well rounded nursing personnel. I believe the organ donation and procurement training is a worthy type of training, but is better required for the specialties that will need this information such as the ER or the ICU.

            I feel a better solution would be to encourage (not require) nursing schools to provide optional classes related to this (and other) specialty training. These organizations (such as Lifenet) should target their desire to improve education to the individual hospitals and specialty organizations as part of their certification requirements (such as CCRN and others) thus ensuring current standards are being taught and updated in the area of practice. In my opinion, requiring a student to learn about a specialty, one time in college, is not sufficient training for such a specific lifesaving practice. I hope the board will vote "No" on the petition to mandate this specific type of training in basic nursing education and encourage organizations to seek to provide this type of training through hospital/unit education and specialty organization certification curricula adjustment.

Thank you.