Nursing Students' Knowledge About Organ Donation and Transplantation: A Spanish Multicenter Study

Health care professionals and the information that they provide to the public on organ donation and transplantation (ODT) influence attitudes toward this option.

The objective was to analyze the knowledge of university nursing students at Spanish universities toward ODT and the factors affecting it.

The methods and design included a multicenter, sociologic, and observational study including university nursing diploma students in a complete academic year.

A sample of 10,566 students was selected stratified by geographic area and year.

A validated questionnaire of knowledge toward ODT (PCID-DTO RIOS), self-administered and completed anonymously.

Questionnaire completion rate: 85% (n = 9001). Only 18% (n = 1580) believed that their knowledge about ODT was good, 40% (n = 3578) believed that the information they had was normal, and 39% believed that their knowledge was sparse. Of the students, 96% believed that organ needs are not covered and 79% that they might need a transplant in the future. Only 39% (n = 3493) had attended a talk about ODT. Furthermore, 83% (n = 7435) believed that attending a talk would be interesting. The following variables were associated with having a more adequate knowledge: gender (62% men vs 57% women; P < .001); academic year (P < .001); knowing a donor (P < .001); knowing a transplant patient (P < .001); believing the possibility of needing a transplant oneself in the future (P < .001); attitude toward deceased donation (P < .001); and interest in receiving an informative talk about ODT (P < .001).

Only 18% of nursing students in Spain believed that their knowledge about ODT was adequate. These results must be considered for possible training plans for these future professionals.