1. Organ & Tissue Donation & Transplantation
Rel 300 / Nurs 330
March 2016

2. Imagine that the School of Nursing has been asked to assist the StFX Students’ Union in developing educational material on organ and tissue donation, allocation and transplantation. The U wishes to prepare a presentation for consideration by the Canadian Students’ Union executive meeting in May.

3. What will we prepare for the Canadian Students’ Union?
We will provide the CSU with information and recommendations on the following ethical issues: #1: Consent to Use of Organs & Tissues #2: Determining Death – Brain Death #3: Determining Death – Cardiovascular Death #4: Other Potential Donors #5: Financial Incentives #6: Xenotransplantation #7: Transplant Tourism
300/330 - appleby

4. How will we provide this information?
We will divide up the research among working groups
Each group will research a single topic and then make recommendations on their topic
This group work will be done IN CLASS TIME on Thursday 17 March, Wed 23 Mar, Thu 24 Mar & Wed 30 March
Each group will receive a group mark for producing a research summary and recommendations (= 10%)
Each student will receive an individual mark based on their contributions to the group process (= 10%)
Presence in class + contribution to information + contributions to group process (by means of peer and self-evaluation)
300/330 - appleby

5. Working Group #1: Consent to use of organs & tissues
How will potential organ & tissue donors express and/or document their autonomous decisions with regard to the distribution and/or disposal of their own bodies and body parts?
What are the possible procedures or systems for organ & tissue procurement?
What procedures and guidelines will you recommend for the recovery of viable organs & tissues for donation, retrieval or storage?
300/330 - appleby

6. Working Group #2: Determining Death – Brain Death
How will persons be determined to be dead according to brain death criteria?
By what procedures will organs & tissues be retrieved from dying and/or dead persons?
What organs & tissues may be retrieved following a determination of brain death?
What procedures and guidelines will you recommend for the use of brain death criteria in the recovery of viable organs & tissues for donation, retrieval or storage?
300/330 - appleby

7. Working Group #3: Determining Death – Cardiovascular Death
How will persons be determined to be dead according to cardiovascular death criteria?
By what procedures will organs & tissues be retrieved from dying and/or dead persons?
What organs & tissues may be retrieved following a determination of cardiovascular death?
What procedures and guidelines will you recommend for the use of cardiovascular criteria in the recovery of viable organs & tissues for donation, retrieval or storage?
300/330 - appleby

8. Working Group #4: Are there other Potential Donors?
Should organs & tissues be retrieved for transplantation from anencephalic infants?
Should organs & tissues be recovered from persons in a PVS for transplantation?
If Canada should implement regulations for medical assistance in dying, should organs & tissues be recovered from persons who choose to end their lives?
What policies or guidelines will you recommend regarding the recovery of viable organs & tissues for donation, retrieval or storage from persons who choose to end their lives?
300/330 - appleby

9. Working Group #5: Financial incentives
Should monetary payment programs be developed to increase the donation of organs & tissues from live donors?
What sorts of financial compensation programs might be considered?
Should verifiable expenses be covered to cover any costs incurred by a donor?
What policies or guidelines will you recommend regarding financial incentives to increase the rates of organ & tissue donation, retrieval or storage?
300/330 - appleby

10. Working Group #6: Xenotransplantation
In order to better meet the demands for healthy organs & tissues, should non-human organs & tissues be used?
What animals might be considered as potential sources of organs & tissues for transplantation? How might this be done?
Are there potential risks and harms to animals used as sources? Are there potential risks and harms to human recipients?
What policies or guidelines will you recommend regarding xenotransplantation to increase the supply of organs & tissues for donation, retrieval or storage?
300/330 - appleby

11. Working Group #7: Transplant Tourism
Should wealthy people in one part of the world be allowed to travel to commercial medical transplant centres in other parts of the world where organs & tissues are made available?
Are there potential benefits, risks and harms to the people used as sources of organs & tissues?
Are there potential benefits, risks and harms to the organ & tissue recipients?
What policies or guidelines will you recommend regarding transplant tourism as a means of providing needed organs & tissues for donation, retrieval or storage?
300/330 - appleby

12. Step 1 Choose the topic you wish to research;
Establish a working group of 4 to 6 students;
Sign up on one of the working group sheets;
Establish someone to facilitate your group process for today;
Someone to take notes on the work you do today;
Someone to be the group leader; and
Someone to make sure that every group member contributes to your discussion today
Brainstorm what you already know about your topic.
300/330 - appleby

13. Step 2 Establish a group facilitator for each day;
Identify someone who will take notes on the work your group does each day;
Begin to explore the resources suggested for your topic;
Divide up the readings among group members;
You may work alone or in pairs for this;
Make notes on information relevant for understanding your topic;
Provide a summary of key information and report to your other group members.
300/330 - appleby

14. Step 3 Make an inventory of the readings your group members have done;
Begin to collate the information you have gathered on your topic;
Identify gaps in your information – what else do you need to find out?
Does there seem to be conflicting information from your sources?
Discuss these different perspectives;
Try to reach agreement on key information and perspectives
300/330 - appleby

15. Step 4 Work together to provide a group summary on your topic;
Explain the most important key factors that need to be understood;
Identify the most important ethical principles and values that need to be respected;
Identify the ways in which these ethical principles and values might be violated;
What attitudes and actions will you wish to promote, and which will you want to prohibit?
300/330 - appleby

16. Step 5 Work as a group to create a research summary for your topic;
Work as a group to articulate your recommendations;
For each recommendation, include a sentence or 2 to explain your reasoning;
If you have many recommendations, try to group them together and then summarize them in a briefer form;
Prioritize your recommendations;
Prepare the final format for your report and recommendations.
300/330 - appleby