Organ donation and transplantation training for future professional nurses as a health and social awareness policy.

INTRODUCTION: Training and information for university nursing students about the organ donation and transplantation process is necessary because it will influence their attitudes toward the subject. We analyzed attitudes toward organ donation among nursing students in a donation and transplantation training course and any changes in opinions as a result of the course.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: We questioned 48 students in the third year of nursing (University of Murcia, Spain) who were attending a 32-hour training course about donation and transplantation. We used a descriptive concurrent study, through the completion of a validated opinion survey with 27 items before and after the training course.

RESULTS: Attitudes toward donation were favorable in 87% of respondents increasing to 94% after course completion. Before starting the course, 87% believed that there were not enough transplantable organs available to cover needs compared to 96% after the course. Before the course, 46% stated that they did not have complete information about the subject. Taking part in the course has encouraged family discussion about the subject (85% to 90%) and improved knowledge about family opinions (64% to 83%; P = .031). Attitudes toward living donation did not change after the course. However, there was an improvement in knowledge of the Spanish organ distribution system.

CONCLUSIONS: Attitudes toward organ donation among third-year nursing students were favorable, and increased after undergoing a course about donation and transplantation. The most important part of the course was the increase in theoretical knowledge about the matter as well as the health education.