items | Strongly Agree or Agree (%) | Strongly Disagree or Disagree (%) | Mean (SD) | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Nurses | Physicians | Nurses | Physicians | Nurses | Physicians | |
I feel that the DCD donation process is “eerier” than the brain death donation process | 47.6 | 65.3 | 17.2 | 20.4 | 2.60(1.06) | 2.32(1.26) |
I feel that it is easier for me to “let go” of a brain-dead patient than a DCD patient | 46.2 | 49 | 23.4 | 42.9 | 2.69(1.08) | 2.93(1.43) |
I feel less comfortable with the death criteria for DCD than for brain death | 58.6 | 61.2 | 12.4 | 12.2 | 2.39(0.92) | 2.34(0.90) |
I feel comfortable talking with family members about withdrawal of life support | 53.1 | 55.1 | 20 | 34.7 | 2.57(1.11) | 2.73(1.28) |
I feel comfortable with the DCD process | 22.7 | 12.2 | 30.3 | 44.9 | 3.07(0.90) | 3.51(1.00) |
I feel perfectly comfortable talking with family members about DCD | 43.4 | 46.9 | 24.8 | 32.7 | 2.74(1.07) | 2.83(1.16) |
I feel that donation after brain death is not consistent with my religious or spiritual beliefs | 18 | 12.3 | 46.9 | 59.2 | 3.36(0.93) | 3.71(1.09) |
I feel that DCD is not consistent with my religious or spiritual beliefs | 14.5 | 14.3 | 46.2 | 61.2 | 3.39(0.92) | 3.71(1.17) |
In DCD cases, I feel perfectly comfortable giving full comfort measures to the patient | 21.4 | 18.3 | 33.1 | 46.9 | 3.11(0.89) | 3.38(0.97) |
I feel less comfortable with the process of DCD than with donation after brain death | 29.6 | 26.5 | 28.3 | 49 | 2.95(1.04) | 3.30(1.14) |
I feel that staffing demands for DCD cases are too high and burdensome for the intensive care unit | 40.7 | 48.9 | 16.5 | 26.5 | 2.73(0.92) | 2.69(1.08) |
I feel that OPO requestors should speak to families about the DCD option when the family is considering life support withdrawal | 37.5 | 44.9 | 35.9 | 30.6 | 3.05(1.08) | 2.77(1.21) |
I feel that the time of continuous Pulselessness or Asystole before declaring death is too short | 49 | 34.7 | 24.1 | 34.7 | 2.64(1.08) | 3.00(0.97) |
I feel that DCD cases are more difficult and less predictable than donation after brain death cases | 41.4 | 42.9 | 21.4 | 30.6 | 2.76(1.00) | 2.85(1.08) |
I feel that DCD cases are more stressful for critical care staff than donation after brain death cases | 40.7 | 34.7 | 24.2 | 30.6 | 2.71(1.00) | 2.85(1.09) |
I feel that death is declared too soon in DCD cases | 35.9 | 26.5 | 24.1 | 32.6 | 2.84(0.99) | 2.97(0.98) |
I feel that our hospital should not allow DCD | 19.3 | 16.3 | 42 | 61.2 | 3.33(1.11) | 3.61(1.23) |
I feel that a family’s decision about DCD should be part of end-of-life care, just like withdrawal of mechanical ventilation | 54.5 | 63.3 | 17.3 | 16.3 | 2.53 (0.97) | 2.36 (1.07) |
I feel that a problem with DCD is that the health-care team has to “watch” patients take their last breath | 31 | 34.6 | 30.7 | 47 | 3.02 (0.96) | 3.14 (1.27) |
I feel that transplant outcomes using DCD organs are just as good as those for organs recovered after brain death | 33.1 | 32.7 | 14.5 | 18.4 | 2.77 (0.78) | 2.85 (0.86) |
I feel that DCD “trivializes” the patient’s death and gives the death less meaning | 32.4 | 24.5 | 31 | 36.7 | 2.90 (1.08) | 3.14 (1.08) |
I feel that DCD is less stressful for families than donation after brain death | 29 | 26.5 | 37.3 | 44.9 | 3.08 (1.07) | 3.30 (1.06) |
I feel that DCD is psychologically less difficult than donation after brain death | 32.4 | 28.5 | 27.6 | 40.8 | 2.93 (0.96) | 3.26 (1.09) |
I feel that most families find comfort in DCD | 31 | 28.5 | 30.4 | 40.8 | 3.22 (2.68) | 3.18 (1.11) |
I feel that DCD allows something positive to come out of the patient’s death | 14.4 | 4.1 | 49.7 | 73.5 | 3.46 (0.98) | 3.95 (0.95) |
I feel that a family should be able to refuse DCD, even if the deceased was a registered organ donor | 28.2 | 32.6 | 35.1 | 36.7 | 3.14 (1.04) | 2.97 (1.12) |
I feel that cultural issues are not adequately considered in DCD cases | 40 | 38.8 | 15.8 | 18.4 | 2.71 (0.92) | 2.77 (0.91) |
I feel that the OPO cares only about the number of organs recovered | 31 | 36.8 | 23.4 | 18.4 | 2.93 (0.90) | 2.85 (0.95) |
I feel that the OPO is trustworthy | 12.5 | 6.1 | 55.2 | 67.3 | 3.62 (0.82) | 3.87 (1.01) |
I feel that “circulatory death” was developed solely for the purpose of increasing organ donation | 20.7 | 26.5 | 37.2 | 38.8 | 3.23 (0.99) | 3.12 (1.23) |
I feel that the DCD policy at my medical center is implemented consistently | 18 | 18.3 | 29.6 | 36.8 | 3.13 (0.83) | 3.34 (1.03) |
I feel that the health-care team is playing an active role in killing the patient in DCD cases | 17.3 | 24.5 | 32.5 | 40.8 | 3.22 (0.89) | 3.36 (1.23) |
I feel that at the time of organ recovery in DCD cases, I am not sure that the patient is truly dead | 17.2 | 16.3 | 49.6 | 62.7 | 3.44 (1.07) | 3.75 (1.10) |
I feel that with DCD we are hastening the patient’s death | 17.2 | 18.4 | 45.6 | 57.2 | 3.40 (1.04) | 3.63 (1.16) |