Challenges in decision‐making support processes regarding living kidney donation: A qualitative study
Yuri Wada, Takayoshi Ueno, Koji Umeshita, Kuniko Hagiwara- Advanced and Specialized Nursing
- Nephrology
Abstract
Background
Previous studies on decision‐making of living kidney donors have indicated issues regarding donors' autonomy is inherent in decision‐making to donate their kidney. Establishing effective decision‐making support that guarantees autonomy of living kidney donor candidates is important.
Objectives
The aim of this study was to identify the difficulties in the decision‐making support when clinical transplant coordinators advocating for the autonomy of donor candidates of living donor kidney transplantation and to identify the methods to deal with these difficulties.
Design
A qualitative descriptive study.
Participants
Ten clinical transplant coordinators supporting living kidney donors.
Approach
Semi‐structured interviews were conducted using an interview guide. The modified grounded theory approach was utilised to analyse.
Results
Three categories related to difficulties were as follows: issues inherent to the interaction between coordinators, donor candidates and their families; issues regarding the environment and institutional background in which coordinators operate; and emotional labour undertaken by coordinators in the decision‐making support process. Additionally, five categories related to methods were as follows: assessing the autonomy of donor candidates based on the coordinators nursing experience; interventions for the donor candidates and their family members based on the coordinators nursing experience; smooth coordination with medical staff; clarifying and asserting their views as coordinators; and readiness to protect the donor candidates.
Conclusion
The involvement of highly experienced coordinators with excellent and assertive communication skills as well as the ability to reflect on their own practices is essential. Moreover, we may need to fundamentally review the transplant community, where power domination is inherent.