ORCID
- Matt Carey: 0000-0003-3411-0657
Abstract
Background: Organ Donation saved the lives of 1510 transplant recipients in the United Kingdom (UK) last year (NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT), 2024. Although over 28 million people in the UK have registered a decision to ‘opt-In’ on the Organ Donor Register (ODR) (NHSBT, 2024), and a soft opt-out system has been adopted across all parts of the UK, securing next of kin agreement remains essential to proceed with organ donation (Rees et. al., 2024).Research Aims: Data from the UK’s Potential Donor Audit continues to highlight instances of limited engagement with organ donation services teams (O’Neill et al, 2024; NHSBT, 2024). This qualitative phenomenological study explores the lived experiences of Specialist Requestors (SRs), focusing on paternalistic approaches to care within ICU and their potential influences on the organ donation referral process.Methods: This study focused on SR experiences, with all 55 SRs from across the UK invited to participate, 15 accepted the invitation. Purposive sampling ensured representation from nine of the twelve regional organ donation services. Data was collected through Focus Groups (FG). Recordings and transcripts were then thematically analysed to identify emerging themes.Findings: From the data collected from all 15 participants, six themes were identified as potential obstacles to SR engagement in securing organ donation consent – paternalistic approaches to care; control/power struggles; person bias; trust and communication; ethical considerations and additional workload.Conclusion: This study highlights how SR’s who, as the cohort of specialist nurses are deployed to ICUs at the point of potential donor referral, are exposed directly to barriers from within ICU that hinder the progression of organ donation exploration. This position give SRs valuable insight into ICU culture, which fundamentally challenges consent. Wider challenges of patient autonomy and critical care culture was also uncovered.
Publication Date
2025-09-10
Event
RCN International Nursing Research Conference
Deposit Date
2025-09-12
Additional Links
First Page
371
Last Page
371
Recommended Citation
Tierney, B., & Carey, M. (2025) 'Paternalistic Approaches to care in Intensive Care and its Potential Effects on Securing Consent for Organ Donation', Retrieved from https://pearl.plymouth.ac.uk/nm-research/822
