Cadaver organ donation and moral distress: a staff nurse's perspective

Current advancements in medical science, such as the progress seen in the area of organ transplantation, brings with it many ethical dilemmas for which there are no precedents. Obtaining informed consent for cadaver organ donation requires perioperative nurses to confront the moral responsibility that they have to their patients, their patients' families, and to the nursing profession as a whole. The perioperative nurse must question his or her own moral and cultural beliefs, face their own fears of death, and confront societal misconceptions about brain death. This evolution is emotionally demanding and often stresses one's support systems. However, with self-discovery and education, it can also be very rewarding.