“ Without the organ donor, there is no story, no hope, no transplant. But when there is an organ donor life springs from death, sorrow turns to hope and a terrible loss becomes a gift” (UNOS). Organ transplantation has cultivated many emotions and dilemmas. Organ transplantation and donation is very delicate subject. What are the parameters? Who decides whether or not an individual will receive an organ?
According to Butts & Rich (2016), Organ procurement entails obtaining, transferring, and processing of organs for through systems, organizations, or programs. The need for organs far exceeds the supply. To counterbalance the supply demand crisis, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services continues to offer campaigns to increase the organ supply. Utilitarianism is a common ethical framework for planning and implementing goals to increase the organ supply. On the other hand, at the core of many people’s beliefs is the value of respect for autonomy and human dignity, which is a deontological ethical framework (p.230). The Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network is a national organization that safeguards fairness across the United Sates for all organ distribution. The
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As nurses, it is vital that we treat a brain dead donor patient as if they were alive. An individual, deceased or alive, always deserves our respect. Our care for the deceased donor also helps the family during a difficult event. Nurses work within a moral framework of good personal character, which promotes the principles of autonomy, beneficence, and justice. The procurement team is essentially an advocate for implementing the patient’s wishes. This act of advocacy exceeds the principle of autonomy in health care. Carrying out the recipient’s wishes or by releasing a dead person’s organs for the good of another is a widely accepted utilitarianism model in