The circulatory death that saves lives—Intensive care nurses' conceptions of participating during ‘donation after circulatory death’: A phenomenographic study

Abstract

AimTo describe intensive care nurses' conceptions of participating during the donation after circulatory death (DCD) process in intensive care units in Sweden.DesignA qualitative design with a phenomenographic approach.MethodsIn total, 12 semi‐structured interviews were conducted in April 2022 with intensive care nurses from three hospitals. Data were analysed using a phenomenographic approach.ResultsConceptions of participating during the DCD process varied. Four main themes emerged: DCD as a system; Intensive care nurses' role in the situation; Life to death to life; The essence of DCD. Variations emerged regarding what the informants talked about and how they talked about the what. Variations were based on informants' perspective of their role in relation to the structure and the team, and their conceptions of care for patients and their relatives.ConclusionThe findings illustrated success factors and challenges. Knowledge, experience, distinct structure, and relationship with relatives, among other factors, were described as success factors, while a lack of experience, difficulty in prognosing death, and organisational obstacles emerged as challenges. Furthermore, the findings showed that intensive care nurses play an important role in optimising the outcome of the DCD process. Their work related to DCD was conceived as being meaningful to fulfil more peoples' wishes to donate organs.ImpactPeople on the waiting list for organ transplantation are dying due to a shortage of organs. The implementation of DCD, as a complement to Donation after Brain Death (DBD), contributed to an increase in the number of organ donors, and intensive care nurses play an important role during the DCD process. Previous research manifests the complexity concerning their role. There is a lack of nursing research regarding intensive care nurses' conceptions of what it means to participate in the DCD process, which emphasises the significance of this study.Reporting MethodThis study is reported using consolidated criteria for reporting qualitative research (SRQR).Patient or Public ContributionNo patient or public contribution.