Organ, Tissue, and Eye Procurement

Abstract

Organ, tissue, and eye donation is an essential component of healthcare necessary to save and enhance the lives of others. The decision to honor a loved one's designation, or consent to donation on the behalf of an eligible donor, is a choice fraught with a multitude of competing factors which may provide stress among family decision-makers, and the bereavement journey does not end once recovery is completed. Certified Child Life Specialists are expertly equipped with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to effectively and compassionately offer donation opportunities during potentially traumatizing or crisis-laden situations as family services coordinators. As indispensable members of any organ procurement organization, family services coordinators collaborate with clinical recovery coordinators, hospital services individuals, and hospital critical care teams to ensure families are poised to make well-informed decisions, honor their loved one in a uniquely profound and rare way, and provide ongoing bereavement and grief support to families experiencing the loss of a loved one.