Cathy

Brief Outline:

Cathy is a Specialist Nurse in organ donation.

Cathy explains her role as a specialist organ donation nurse.

Role of the specialist nurse is really important for families because they provide information about organ donation and the good that that can bring, and the lifesaving opportunity to help those people on the transplant waiting list.

Sometimes families are so in grief and shock that they cannot, they cannot, they struggle to listen to the information, so it’s important that the specialist nurses are able to support the families at this time to listen to the information so they can support their loved one’s decision.

Cathy says it’s still important to join the organ donor register.

My name’s Cathy Miller, and my role is Head of Education and Professional Development.

In terms of registering your decision to be an organ donor in the uk, there are multiple ways of doing this.

The most important ways to register your decision on the Organ donor register and let people know that you want to be an organ donor, you can tell your family as well that’s important that they share what your decision is regarding organ donation.

Registering your decision on the organ donor register is really important for specialist nurses because when that time comes, your family will want to support your decision and it is a really difficult time for your family.

They are often shocked and distressed by the loved one’s death, understandably so.

If you’ve registered your decision, that is a really firm and concrete decision that you want to help save others in the event of your death and your family are more likely to honour it and support that if they know that you have made that decision in writing.

Also, what helps is having that discussion with your family so they know exactly what you want. Regards the organ donor register.

What’s really positive and concrete about that is when we meet your family at that difficult time, we can have a printout of that and families get a sense of pride by seeing in writing your decision, that really helps give them comfort that they know that they are following and honouring what you wanted to have happen.

Cathy explains the law of Deemed Consent.

The new legislation helps families and specialist nurses by removing the burden of decision making.

Families are often grieving and in shock when we meet them. So what the new law does it, it moves the default position for all people now living in the uk.

They’re considered willing to want to help save the lives of other people, and that’s how the law helps.

Cathy discusses the role of the family in organ donation.

So the role of the family in organ donation is to support their loved one’s decision to be an organ donor.

And that is all the more comforting and easier for them if their loved one is registered. A decision on the organ donor register. Under the new legislation, families play a really key part.

If their loved one hasn’t opted out or raised an objection to be an organ donor, they’re considered willing to want to help save the lives of other people.

Families are really helpful to the specialist nurses at this considerably difficult time.

Only a tiny percent of the population ever die in circumstances that they could be an organ donor. 1% of the population of all deaths only die in intensive care. So this is a rare and unique, position that they find themselves in.

Not many families have that option when somebody dies to help save the lives of others.

Of course, that is coupled at a really deeply emotional and shocked time in their lives, and we really need the families to be supportive of that decision to help us with the information that we need to gather, to make sure that donation is as safe as possible for those recipients waiting for a transplant.

Cathy talks about why families find it difficult to support their loved one’s decision.

Sometimes families find it difficult to support their loved one’s decision to be an organ donor, possibly.

That’s down to tiredness. They’ve been on the unit without sleep and by their bedside, and they want to go home.

Quite often we hear families say, um, I want it to go away. I want it all to go away. They can’t deal with that emotion. And sometimes we have responses to organ donation where families decline, um, without hearing the information and the, the good that it could bring, the comfort that it could bring.

It’s really important that we support families. What we really wouldn’t want is for any family to go away and regret that decision because that can impact their grief later down the line.

And we know from experience how much comfort organ donation can bring. And it’s about helping families see into the future, because quite often they’re only focused on that moment in time.

Understandably, their loved ones just died, their worlds fell apart.

They cannot see past this moment. So it’s the role of a specialist nurse to help them think about the, the times ahead. Yes, they’ll be difficult. This can bring some comfort,  helping others save the lives of others through kidney donation, heart donation, whatever it might be, can really bring them some comfort in the difficult times ahead.

And this really helps the most vulnerable people at this time who are your family.

So help your family and register today.

Cathy explains why families might not want to discuss organ donation.

Sometimes families find it difficult to support their loved one’s decision to be an organ donor, possibly. That’s down to tiredness. They’ve been on the unit without sleep and by their bedside, and they want to go home.

Quite often we hear families say I want it to go away. I want it all to go away. They can’t deal with that emotion. And sometimes we have responses to organ donation where families decline without hearing the information and the good that it could bring, the comfort that it could bring.

It’s really important that we support families. What we really wouldn’t want is for any family to go away and regret that decision because that can impact their grief later down the line.

And we know from experience how much comfort organ donation can bring. And it’s about helping families see into the future. Because quite often they’re only focused on that moment in time.

Understandably, their loved ones just died, their worlds fell apart. They cannot see past this moment. So it’s the role of a specialist nurse to help them think about the, the times ahead.

Yes, they’ll be difficult. This can bring some comfort. Helping others save the lives of others through kidney donation, heart donation, whatever it might be, can really bring them some comfort in the difficult times ahead.