Serving the needs of donor families: the role of the critical care nurse.

The humanitarian act of donating organs has tremendous benefits not only for the transplant recipients but also for the family of the donor. The opportunity to provide some hope to a grief-stricken family that something positive can result from their tragedy is an important contribution that a critical care nurse can make. The nurse's participation in recognizing the possibility of organ donation for the family of a terminal patient can drastically reduce the national shortage of transplantable organs. The consent and organ recovery process is a complex one, and a team approach by the nurse, physician, OPO coordinator, and other hospital staff members is necessary. Ultimately, the success of the effort is determined by the family's positive response to give the "Gift of Life."