Knowledge and Attitude of the Intensive Care Unit Nurses in Mazandaran Province towards Organ Donation

Nurses can identify potential donors and obtain the consent of their families for organ donation. The aim of this study was to investigate the knowledge and attitudes of the employed nurses in the Intensive Care Units of Mazandaran province hospitals towards organ donation in 2016.
This was a descriptive-analytical study. Using census sampling method, 226 Intensive Care Unit nurses from Mazandaran province hospitals were participated in the study. The instruments were demographic form and the Chakradhar’s Knowledge and Attitude questionnaire regarding organ donation. After translating questionnaire, its reliability and validity were confirmed. Data were analyzed by descriptive and inferential statistical tests and SPSS version 16.
Our results showed that the mean scores for knowledge and attitude were 8.3±1.7 (out of 13) and 49.6±6.8 (out of 65), respectively. Also, the nurses obtained 63.8% and 76.3% of the maximum achievable score on the knowledge and attitude questionnaire, respectively. The knowledge score for the nurses who had an organ donation card was higher than those who had not (P=0.003), and there was a significant correlation between attitude and work experience in Intensive Care Unit (F=5.216, P=0.006).
The Intensive Care Unit nurses have a high level of knowledge and attitude about organ donation, and they can play an important role in encouraging organ donation among community members and the families of brain dead patients.