Intensive care nurses' experiences of caring for brain dead organ donor patients

This study was designed to identify the feelings and experiences of critical care nurses who have been involved in nursing brain dead patients prior to organ donation. The purpose of the study was to generate knowledge which informs the discipline of nursing. A number of themes relating to nurses' experiences of caring for brain dead organ donor patients were uncovered in this interpretative study. Overall, caring for patients who are diagnosed as brain dead is a challenging experience for nurses and they are intensely involved in a search for meaning in each event. The interpretative analysis in this study has revealed a range of meanings articulated by the nurses involved. However, the primary focus of care--as identified by the participating nurses--was the donor family.