From the time spent waiting for an organ for donation to the post-surgical recovery, transplant nurses play an integral role in the lives of patients involved in transplants. Today, National Transplant Nurses Day, recognizes that work.
The International Transplant Nurses Society started a national recognition day for transplant nurses in 2006. Since then, they have attracted attention to the day and boosted recognition for all these nurses do in their field. The organization even builds pride with an essay contest in which patients may nominate a nurse who has had a particularly important impact in their lives.
But the day also shines a light on the varies responsibilities of nurses who are an integral part of the transplant team.
According to the Health Career Institute, transplant nurses’ duties can range from prepping patients for transplant surgery and assisting in the transplant surgery itself to monitoring post-surgery for organ rejection or complications.
Before deciding on this career path, prospective transplant nurses generally gain experience in the field by working in a transplant unit. Eventually, certification as a clinical transplant nurse will help you provide the best patient care and will also signal to your organization how committed you are to your job. Certification in the field through the American Board for Transplant Certification shows you are willing to go beyond your job requirements and gain additional training and education to remain on the forefront of transplant-related practices.
Nurses who work with transplant patients and their families may be involved in cases of living donors or deceased donors. They must remain sensitive to the complex emotional environment surrounding the origins of the donated organs while remaining a vigilant advocate for the organ recipient’s health first and foremost.
Transplants are becoming more and more complex, with multi-organ transplants a more common surgery than ever before. Transplant nurses on the leading edge of the field will want to be well-educated on all the body systems involved and the varied ways that can present challenges in the human body. Because the transplant team includes many diverse specialists, transplant nurses have to work well on a fast-paced team where situations change in an instant and the clear path isn’t always obvious. They have to have excellent critical thinking and be knowledgeable and confident enough to make excellent decisions based on the patient in front of them.
With the emotional challenges and complexities around transplantation and the patients and families involved, transplant nurses have to be sure to have resources to deal with the emotional extremes–from grief to joy—that will become part of their daily routine. But they are reassured about the impact they are making for the patients they treat. A lifelong connection often develops from playing such an essential role in someone’s journey.
Around the world, patients rely on transplant nurses to help them navigate the complicated path to a transplant.
To honor the work these nurses do, the International Transplant Nurses Society (ITNS) established Transplant Nurses Day to be held annually on the third Wednesday in April. On April 18 this year, transplant nurses around the globe will celebrate the life-saving, life-giving, and life-changing work they do.
From its Chicago, IL headquarters, the ITNS helps nurses around the world connect with others in this specialized field and offers information to remain professionally current.
Transplant nurses work with patients who are having or have had solid organ transplants, so in addition to patient care, they also must stay current with the advances in transplantation itself. Education and professional growth are topmost issues for ITNS and nurses are encouraged to remain continually engaged with learning.
Transplant nurses have particular concerns about their patients and will interact with them along the entire spectrum of their transplant care. Theses nurses can specialize in one particular area—transplant coordinator, staff nurse, or post-operative, for instance—but understanding the entire transplantation spectrum helps them offer better care.
And while Transplant Nurses Day is a highlight of the year, the society also offers awards for transplant nurses and a yearly essay contest (the winner is announced on Transplant Nurses Day). The organization helps nurses interact with other nurses in the same specialty. Hearing from and learning from others in the field helps bring a fresh perspective and a new drive to their personal and professional commitment. Celebrations and struggles are understood and tips about certification or insight into transplant patient care can be shared.
And because transplant nurses work with more than just the patient, they are also able to address issues related to the family and loved ones of transplant patients. The ITNS Foundation offers grants and scholarships for professionals who want to further knowledge in the field as well.
Help the transplant nurses in your life celebrate their success on Transplant Nurses Day!
In honor of Transplant Nurses Day—April 19—we decided to ask a transplant nurse what it’s like to work in this part of the nursing field. Austin Timmons, BSN, RN, CNOR, an Operating Room Registered Nurse at Largo Medical Center in Largo, Florida. Took times to answers some questions for us. What follows is an edited version of our interview.
As a transplant nurse, what does your job entail? What do you do on a daily basis?
A transplant nurse’s job entails many criteria including patient education, clinical care, and patient safety as well as a wide array of interdisciplinary coordination within the hospital. Transplant nurses work closely with transplant physicians, pharmacists, the lab, anesthesia, Organ Procurement Organizations (OPOs), perfusionists, surgical scrub technicians, and other specialists to coordinate the best care possible for our patients.
As an Operating Room nurse specifically, I focus–along with other members of the OR team–on providing the most current standards of care to our patients in a safe and respectful manner. We handle setting up supplies for a transplant procedure, providing education for our patients, keeping the patients safe under anesthesia, handling donor organs, and eventually taking our patients safely to a recovery unit to begin their journey with their new organ.
Why did you choose this field of nursing?
I personally chose this field of nursing to help expand the transplant services within our community and to assist in offering the best care possible for the patients that we receive. We all work closely together and have our own roles to make the procedure come together as a whole. We have a growing presence in our community, and, as a healthcare team, we are proud to be a part of the transplant program.
What are the biggest challenges of your job?
One of the biggest challenges of my job includes seeing the patient immediately before surgery. This is always an emotional time for them, and as nurses, we are able to comfort and sympathize with them at the bedside before the procedure begins. We are constantly in close contact with family members during the procedure to keep them involved and are available for their support as well.
What are the greatest rewards?
On the other side of the coin, the greatest reward as a transplant nurse in the operating room is seeing the patients after the procedure is complete–witnessing their joy and appreciation for this gift of life. For example, after one of our kidney transplant recipients had been brought to the Intensive Care Unit and woke up, the patient began to cry out of joy when they saw they were making their own urine for the first time in over a year. Knowing that our team has played an integral part in such a big milestone for their health is a great feeling.
What would you say to someone considering this type of nursing work?
To someone considering this type of work I would say, “Go for it!” It is a rewarding experience and allows you to work with many different departments and specialties, all of which have one common goal in mind. I believe compassion, attention to detail, organization, highly developed communication skills, and transplant-specific education are needed for this type of nursing work.
Is there anything I haven’t asked you about being a transplant nurse that is important for people to know?
One other thing that I would add is the involvement with our local population. The Transplant Institute of Florida at Largo Medical Center works with Life Link and other organizations to support community-centered events and education regarding donation and transplantation. These events help to strengthen our presence and help reach out to people in need.
The International Transplant Nurses Society sponsors the Transplant Nurses Day on April 19 this year, and the organization offers some great tips and suggestions for celebrating the day.
Transplant nurses specialize in the care of people who are undergoing or have had transplant surgery of solid organs. Since 2006, the ITNS has helped honor nurses who are committed to this branch of nursing by recognizing their efforts and their skill on the third Wednesday of every April.
The transplant nurses on staff work with a distinct population and help patients through all phases of care. They are there to help both the sickest patients awaiting transplant surgery and the healthy live donors, and assist during the procedures. Transplant nurses also work closely with patients and their families post-surgery to ensure everything goes as smoothly as possible and to monitor for any complications such as organ rejection.
During this year’s Transplant Nurses Day, take a few tips from the ITNS and shower your transplant nurses with some extra love. Like with many other holidays to celebrate a specific field of nursing, the celebration to honor a group is what makes it special.
A luncheon or a gathering with cake and coffee is always a nice break in the day and a good way to say thanks. This is a great time to call out some nurses who have gone above and beyond their job duties and give them a small gift like a gift card to a local shop or coffee store they love. Personal thank you notes are also always appreciated.
In keeping with the ITNS mission, spreading education about transplant nurses and what they do is important. Invite local and state legislators to come hear a presentation in the near future about this profession. If you’re a transplant nurse, see if your team will take the time to make a presentation to a local school or library to teach others about what you do.
If transplant nursing sounds like something you would like to do, you’ll need to obtain your RN and then gain experience in critical care and surgical units. You need to be certified with a Transplant Nurses Certification through the American Board for Transplant Certification. As the field is so fast-paced, keeping up with the latest cutting-edge research and outcomes will become part of your job duties.
Say thank you to your transplant nurses on Transplant Nurses Day, and if you’re a transplant nurse, take the time today to honor all you do and the patients you help.
See Our Champions of Nursing Diversity
Sign up now to get your free digital subscription to Minority Nurse
