Acceptance of Xenotransplantation among Nursing Students

Background: Recent progress in the experimental laboratory suggests that clinical trials of pig-to-human organ transplantation may be a near future approach to help address the shortage of transplantable organs. Objective: The purpose of this study was to describe the attitudes of xenotransplantation (XTx) among nursing students and to describe the additional work that stemmed from this pilot study to identify possible barriers among different communities to accept XTx. Methods: Junior and senior level nursing students from a major mid-western university regional campus were identified through their electronic information system. They were then contacted via e-mail once and asked to complete a Likert-scale survey. Results: Sixty-seven of the 250 of those who met the inclusion criteria agreed to participate and were primarily Caucasian females, between the ages of 19-29. They had a highly positive attitude to human organ transplant (M = 4.79) with a lukewarm attitude to pig organs (M = 3.37). Single linear regression found that the willingness to accept a human organ donor, medical risk factors and psychosocial sequelae were significantly associated with their decision to consider a pig organ (p < .05). A refined multiple linear regression model that excluded some factors based on multi-collinearity found that the potential negative self-image was the significant factor influencing their acceptance of a pig organ (p < .01). Conclusion: Being aware of different attitudes among future healthcare professionals that may care for XTx recipients and finding ways that help address individuals' concerns may help increase acceptance of XTx if it were to become a reality.