Organ procurement organization and university-based respiratory care program partnership to develop student...

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Organ Procurement
• Respiratory Care

Background:

• Organ Recovery Coordinator (ORC) roles require on-the-job training due to diverse backgrounds.
• Healthcare students often lack knowledge of organ procurement practices.
• A partnership between a respiratory care program and an OPO created an educational internship.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and implement an internship for respiratory care students focused on organ procurement.
• To provide students with practical experience in organ recovery coordination.

Main Methods:

• A 160-hour internship was co-developed by OPO administration and university faculty.
• The internship structure mirrored the OPO's per diem ORC orientation.
• Student reflective journals were qualitatively analyzed.

Main Results:

• Interns actively participated in organ donor management in critical care and surgical settings.
• Student progression in emotional competence and leadership skills was observed.
• Four RC students participated across two years (2017 and 2019).

Conclusions:

• The OPO internship enhanced RC students' professional development and critical care skills.
• Internships in emerging roles like ORC promote student growth and the respiratory therapy profession.
• The program strengthened students' emotional competence and leadership abilities.