Organ donation coordinators’ major stressors and satisfying aspects of the role: A Canadian qualitative study
Vanessa Silva e Silva1, Ken Lotherington2, Kendra-Lee Dupuis1, Sonny Dhanani3, Amina Silva1.
1Nursing , Brock University, St Catharines, ON, Canada; 2Organ and Tissue Donation and Transplantation, Canadian Blood Services, Ottawa, ON, Canada; 3Research Institute, Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario, Ottawa, ON, Canada
Introduction: Deceased organ donation is a complex process that relies on the expertise of Organ and Tissue Donation Coordinators (OTDCs). The care provided by OTDCs exposes them to a range of occupational stressors, while also providing opportunities for professional fulfillment. A dedicated balance between these aspects is critical to supporting OTDCs in providing this specialized care, therefore, in this study we aimed to explore the work-related stressors and satisfying aspects of OTDCs in Canada.
Methods: This was a national study conducted using a qualitative descriptive design approach. Data was collected through use of virtual interviews with OTDCs across Canada. Interviews were recorded and transcribed for an inductive data analysis approach, allowing for major categories to be identified. This study is part of the Burnout and Resilience in Organ Donor Coordinators (BRiC) research program funded by Canadian Blood Services.
Preliminary Results: A total of 39 OTDCs participated in this study, with most participants having a nursing degree (n=35, 89.75%) and an intensive care background (n=32, 65.20%). Results were organized into two main categories, each with three sub-categories. Satisfying aspects reported by OTDCs included (1) interpersonal interactions, (2) personal factors, such as being challenged during their work, and (3) work-specific factors related to the meaningful impact of their work. Stressors, on the other hand, were linked to the (1) outcomes, (2) processes, and (3) structures of the role, including only seeing the negative side of donation, organ allocation, and lack of resources, respectively.
Conclusions: Identifying the primary stressors and sources of satisfaction for OTDCs sheds light on the dynamic components that influence their work-related well-being and professional engagement. These findings can inform the development of targeted strategies to reduce burnout and other work-related issues among this population, which ultimately can improve the quality of care delivered during the donation process.
We would like to thank the Canadian Blood services for funding this research. We also thank the Organ Donation Organizations in Canada (managers and organ and tissue donation coordinators) who have kindly supported this study and participated as solid partners.
[1] burnout
[2] compassion fatigue
[3] organ donation coordinators