Article Summary
The article examines the relationship between spirituality and organ donation. The main problem in this article is to answer the question of whether spirituality has any effect on the decision to donate organs. The purpose of the study was the evaluation the differences in spirituality and attitudes between people who did not sign a card to donate organs and those that signed (Bortz, Ashkenazi, & Melnikov, 2015, p. 25). The researchers hypothesized that since the signing of the donor card is voluntary, spirituality and the perceived purpose of life influence the people that signed these cards (Bortz, Ashkenazi, & Melnikov, 2015, p. 25). Additionally, these researchers hypothesized that the decision to donate organs is heavily dependent on the spirituality of the donors. A cross-sectional study design was utilized with 312 participants answering the questionnaires. They concluded that the decision to sign the organ donation form is positively influenced by high purpose in life, low transcendent spirituality, and a positive attitude towards donation (Bortz, Ashkenazi, & Melnikov, 2015, p. 25).
Significance to Nursing
The article is relevant to nursing practice in several ways. First, there are thousands of patients with chronic conditions that require a donation of one or two organs to survive. Consequently, the health system needs more donors to ensure the improved health of the population. The conclusions mean that nurses have the role of educating patients about the need for organ donation and influencing their decision. In addition, health care providers should target to influence religions to allow their members to donate organs. Such measures would increase the number of donors. The study results also show that religion is one of the hindrances to organ donation. Health professionals should focus on changing the attitudes of donors and their perception of life.
References
Bortz, A. P., Ashkenazi, T., & Melnikov, S. (2015). Spirituality as a Predictive Factor for Signing an Organ Donor Card. Journal of Nursing Scholarship, 25(1), 25.