Transplant coordinators
Who we are
We are all specialist registered nurses based in the Transplant Unit of the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh with one member of the team based in Ninewells Hospital, Dundee, and another in the Intensive Care Unit at the Western General Hospital, Edinburgh.
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Jen Lumsdaine - Living Donor Co-ordinator (RIE) Irene Russell - Transplant Co-ordinator (Dundee) |
Christine Jansen -Transplant Co-ordinator (RIE) Liz Waite - Transplant Co-ordinator (RIE) Neil Healy - Donor Liaison Charge Nurse (WGH) |
What Transplant coordinators do
The donor transplant co-ordinator. The process commences with the request for organ donation and support of the donor family. It continues with the on-going management of the donor and subsequent organisation of the retrieval process, including allocation of the donated organs. The transplant co-ordinator then provides follow-up information and support for the relatives and staff involved. Other principle responsibilities include education and training of the health care professionals and the general public in aspects of organ donation and transplantation. More info, including a 'day in the life'
The recipient transplant co-ordinator provides a specialist clinical service on both a national and regional basis. This involves the physical and psychological support and education of the patient and their carer throughout the transplantation process. More info about the recipient coordinator
We also have a dedicated living donor co-ordinator. Edinburgh has one of the largest programmes in the country with the living donor co-ordinator pivotal in providing this option to patients. This is a specialist clinical service and involves the physical and psychological care of the recipient and the live kidney donor.
The provision of a 24-hour on-call service to receive and process organ donor referrals and subsequent organisation of retrieval and/or transplant operations is fundamental to these roles. Read a 'day in the life' of a transplant coordinator
Our Donor Liaison Charge Nurse is based in the Intensive Care Unit at the Western General Hospital, but has equal responsibilities at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh. This role is about educating staff locally regarding organ/tissue donation and the link between the intensive care unit and the transplant co-ordinators. More info about the Donor Liaison Scheme
Historically the roles have developed in an ad-hoc fashion throughout the United Kingdom with no national management structure and minimal standardisation of practice or conditions of work. This has been addressed recently with UK Transplant being given new additional responsibilities for organ donation and co-ordination services. There was recognition at government level that a career structure was required as well as standardisation of practices.
Scottish Transplant Coordination Network (STCN)
Within Scotland we also have the Scottish transplant co-ordination network (STCN). This is a unique development allowing us as a group of like minded professionals, to share experience and practice to maximise the number of organ/tissue donors and living donors thereby improving the care of patients with end stage organ failure or who can benefit by a life enhancing procedure. The key points of the group being:
- All areas of Scotland are covered by a co-ordination service
- In Scotland all transplant co-ordinators are registered nurses with a current NMC (Nursing & Midwifery Council) registration
- All co-ordinators adhere to NMC, UKTCA (United Kingdom Transplant Co-ordinators Association) and UK Transplant standards of practice.
- Share common practice, policies and protocols to maintain acceptable clinical standards and working practices. Professional groups who work closely with this body e.g. BTS & the intensive care society influence these standards. This group will accept their standards as common practice.
- Provide an education service to health care professional, general public and all
interested parties - Promote organ donation and transplantation through education and publicity
- Audit service with agreed parameters set by UK Transplant
- Resource facility on the transplant process
- Provide care for donor families and recipient patients and their carers as set down in
the UK Transplant standards of practice - Constantly look at ways of increasing the present donor pool e.g. live donation, non
heat beating donation - All deaths are audited from the intensive care units
- All centres have link nurses in intensive care units and operating theatres
- Bi-annual educational meetings for link nurses
- Establish educational programmes within local schools
LINKS:
www.uktransplant.org.uk
www.bts.org.uk
www.uktca.co.uk
Further information about transplant coordinators
Anyone thinking of becoming a transplant coordinator should watch Almodovar's film All About My Mother. It's in Spanish with subtitles but worth watching. Here are a couple of reviews of it: First review ... Second review
Further information about transplantation
See the links at the foot of the Kidney Transplantation page in EdRenINFO. We produced the Transplant booklet, Photo-story, and other information.
| Contacting the unit << | >> A transplant photo-story |
