Knowledge levels of Korean intensive care nurses towards brain death and organ transplantation.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To develop and examine the reliability and validity of an instrument assessing knowledge levels of Korean intensive care unit nurses. To conduct a survey with Korean ICU nurses.

BACKGROUND: Organ donation from brain dead patients is a contentious issue in Korea following recent legal recognition of brain death, given the context of a Confucian belief system. Implementation of the new Organ Transplant Act has highlighted the importance of identifying Korean intensive care unit nurses' knowledge regarding brain death and organ donation.

DESIGN: Multi-stage multi-method development of an original instrument with a cross-sectional analysis survey of participants.

METHOD: An 18-item instrument was developed based on previous literature and key informant interviews, and validated by an expert panel and a pilot study. A survey was conducted with Korean intensive care unit nurses (n=520). Principal component analysis with varimax rotation was used to determine construct validity. Item-to-total correlations and Cronbach's coefficient alpha were used to determine the scale's internal consistency.

RESULTS: Principal component analysis yielded a two-component structure: Diagnostic testing and Co-morbid factors of brain death. The scale demonstrated acceptable internal consistency for the two components (alpha=0.74, 0.64, respectively). Most of the participants had a sound knowledge of diagnostic testing for brain death, but demonstrated a lack of knowledge regarding co-morbid factors of brain dead patients.

CONCLUSIONS: The knowledge scale was reliable and valid for this cohort. Further research is warranted in related areas of nursing practice.

RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: Effective education for intensive care unit nurses is necessary to increase the organ donor pool in Korea.