Staff who work in the Emergency Department at Forth Valley Royal Hospital are being urged to think more about approaching families about tissue donation when a loved one has passed away.
The plea has come from Susan Macmillan, a Clinical Development Fellow, who is undertaking a quality improvement project with the aim of increasing tissue donation within the emergency setting.
Susan has been surveying staff to try to identify barriers to discussing donation and will present the findings at the end of her study. She is also undertaking staff education sessions which include advice on how to speak to bereaved families about tissue donation.
Susan explained: “When most people think of organ donation they think of organs such as lungs, livers and kidneys. But donating tissue such as heart valves and corneas can significantly improve the quality of life for some patients. For example, donated corneas could help restore sight.”
Since she began her project Susan says she has already seen a rise in the number of tissue donations, which will greatly benefit those people in need.
