Tasmania (Lutruwita) is Australia's smallest state on latitude 42 degrees south.  Our heart shaped island is one of extreme natural beauty, surrounded by 1000 smaller islands and hosting a small population of just over 573 thousand residents, 40% of whom reside in Hobart, our capital city.  The other 60% live scattered across our island in towns, farmlands, coasts, bushlands and smaller islands.
Servicing our state are three major public hospitals which all participate in the Australian DonateLife network - our national organ and tissue donation service.  DonateLife Tasmania emerged in response to the Australian organ and tissue donation reform program in 2010.  Close to 15 years later, our service has exponentially grown and is leading the nation in many key metrics.
In 2024, Tasmania's deceased actual donors per million population (dpmp) rate was 43.5, leading the country and over double the national actual dpmp average.  Our consent rate for organ donation was 72%, again Australia's highest rate and well above our national average of 53%.  These results are not an anomaly, Tasmania has shown sustained growth and in recent years has led the Australian donation and consent rates.
Why is this? Is it luck? Is it the urban legend of Tasmania's one degree of separation? Is it best practice in action?
DonateLife Tasmania's commitment to its purpose of saving and improving lives of more Australians through best practice approaches to donation has been instrumental in achieving sustained results.  Key principles and strategic elements which align strategy with action, systems focus, structured processes, agreed practices and engagement over the past 15 years are key factors to share.
Participating in our service development as a Donation Specialist Nursing Coordinator (DSNC) over the past 10 years, I plan to share critical elements that have contributed to our state's successful organ and tissue donation program.