Role of Empathy and Altruism in Organ Donation Decisionmaking Among Nursing and Paramedic Students

Organ transplantation offers patients with organ failure an improved quality of life and a life-saving opportunity. Despite universal acceptance of posthumous organ donation, only a minority of candidates become actual donors. Empathy and altruism as a moral issues can influence organ donation decisionmaking The aim of this study was to assess the role of empathy and altruism in the organ donation decisionmaking process in a group of nursing and paramedic students.

Our study was conducted with 111 nursing and paramedic students (aged 19-59 years, 84 females and 27 males). Self-administered questionnaires were then used to collect data, including the Individual Questionnaire: Study of Attitudes Toward Transplantation; Davis's Interpersonal Reactivity Index (Empathy); and Questionnaire A-N by J. Sliwak (Altruism).

Overall, 99% of respondents accepted the idea of organ donation during life and 98% posthumously. Eighty-one percent opted for donating their organ during life and 88% posthumously. The levels of empathy on the subscales Fantasy, Perspective Taking, Personal Distress, and Empathic Concern were significantly associated with agreement to be a donor, willingness to sign a donor card, and attitude toward organ donation. Altruism was associated with posthumous organ donation and the willingness to sign a donor card. Perspective Taking was a statistically significant predictor of attitude toward organ donation.

Both empathy and altruism could influence decisionmaking about organ donation in a group of nursing and paramedic students.