Making the critical difference: an innovative approach to educating nurses about organ and tissue donation

Finding creative solutions to the critical shortage of available organs for transplantation continues to challenge those organizations and health care professionals who are intimately involved in donation procedures. This article describes Making the Critical Difference, an 8-hour continuing education program developed by the National Kidney Foundation and the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses. The program represents a model for identifying and addressing the barriers, attitudes, and needs of nurses as they participate in the donation process.