Combining Empathy With Creativity to Encourage Organ Donation in Lebanon

Area of Science:

• Medical Ethics
• Nursing Practice
• Transplantation

Background:

• Brain death declarations can conflict with families' religious and cultural beliefs, particularly in Lebanon.
• Family reluctance to consent to organ donation is a significant challenge, often stemming from unresolved beliefs and concerns.
• Lebanese law permits families to veto organ donation and restricts life support withdrawal, complicating end-of-life care decisions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the challenges faced by ICU nurses in managing brain death and organ donation conflicts.
• To explore how nursing interventions can help families overcome objections to organ donation while respecting their beliefs.
• To interpret these conflicts using Stein's theory of empathy and Castoriadis' concepts of radical imagination and social imagery.

Main Methods:

• A case study approach focusing on an ICU nurse's experience with a 22-year-old brain-dead patient's family.
• Qualitative interpretation of the conflict using established theories of empathy, imagination, and social imagery.
• Analysis of the legal and cultural context in Lebanon regarding brain death and organ donation.

Main Results:

• Nurses' empathetic communication and trust-building were crucial in helping the family accept organ donation.
• Interpersonal conflicts among nursing staff initially exacerbated the family's distress and objections.
• Respecting families' religious and cultural beliefs is paramount for informed decision-making regarding organ donation.

Conclusions:

• Compassionate and trust-based nursing care can effectively resolve conflicts surrounding brain death and organ donation.
• Creative nursing practices can bridge cultural divides and improve organ donation rates, benefiting recipients on waiting lists.
• Nurses play a vital role in upholding ethical practice while supporting families through difficult end-of-life decisions.