Although Polish transplantology has a number of transplants to its credit, and specialists are able to safely perform transplants in increasingly difficult cases, the number of these procedures remains virtually constant. Meanwhile, the needs are growing. When asked why so few organs are harvested in Poland, the most common answer is "Because people don't agree to donation." However, the number of objections in the central register of objections is not growing...Unfortunately, the problem often lies in the fact that neither during their studies, nor after taking up a job, do medics acquire soft skills in communicating with the patient's family or the seriously ill. That's why the idea of the "Give Life" campaign was born, aimed specifically at doctors, nurses and transplant coordinators.
The project was prepared by the local government of the Mazovian Province, and was launched a year ago. It is implemented by the Polish Union of Transplantation Medicine in cooperation with the Infant Jesus Hospital UCC MUW. Trainings are conducted as part of the campaign. Seven of them have already been conducted in Mazovian hospitals. The program of each of them consisted of a theoretical part and a workshop. The first part discussed such problems as:
- Neurological criteria and diagnosis of death in the mechanism of brain death,
- participation of anesthesiologist and radiologist in diagnosis of brain death,
- donation quality system,
- pathways for obtaining organs from deceased donors,
- practical principles of organization and coordination of organ and tissue procurement from deceased persons,
- authorization of organ and tissue procurement from deceased persons,
- strategies for informing the family of an unsuccessful prognosis,
- discussion on the procurement of organs and tissues from the deceased.
The second part of the training, or workshops, served to develop "soft skills" such as interpersonal communication and stress management skills. Participants practised with actors under the supervision of a psychologist. They were able to test their ability to talk about brain death and organ and tissue donation.
The training sessions were attended by 438 people. In addition, as part of the "Give Life" program, a "Step-by-Step Coordination" script was developed. This is a guide prepared for transplant coordinators, which briefly describes all stages of the organ donation process - from brain death diagnosis, through authorization to organ and tissue procurement from a deceased donor.
It is worth noting that the "Give Life" campaign is not only training, but also an opportunity to establish contacts and relationships with people from the transplant center who deal with organ procurement and transplantation on a daily basis.