*Purpose: Organ transplantation is the gold-standard for patients with end-stage organ disease. For organ donation to occur, potential donors need to be identified and referred to their local organ procurement organization (OPO), a responsibility often performed by nurses. Unfortunately, a complicated organ donation process combined with a lack of knowledge about donation may lead to a potential donor being missed. In an attempt to increase donation within our Health System, we partnered with our OPO and created a nursing champion course.

*Methods: Previously, brief in-service trainings by OPO personnel were offered to nursing staff. In July 2018 we created a nursing champion course covering several topics including rules and regulation, collaboration, steps for a successful consent, patient management, pathways to donation, brain death donation vs. donation after cardiac death, and donor family services. Attendees additionally received CEU credits.

*Results: During the first Donor Nurse Champion Course on July 31^st 2018, 38 nurses took the course, 47% of them being ICU nurses. As of the end of November 2019, 202 nurses have completed the course. In a comparison of 12 months pre and post course data, the number of consents increased by 72.2% in the units represented by class participants while the remaining units increased by 3.8% (Figure 1). Units with staff participants increased the number of donors by 108.3% and increased the number of organs procured by 139.4%; increasing the number of organs per donor from 2.75 to 3.16 (Figure 1). Comparatively, those who did not participate had only one additional donor, fewer organs procured and fewer organs procured per donor. Post course survey also revealed that attendees reported increased familiarity and comfort with referral of potential donors and the donation process.

*Conclusions: We have seen a dramatic improvement of organ donation within our health system as a result of our Donor Nurse Champion Course. Having health systems partnering with OPO’s to further educate nurses has the potential of improving organ donation rates.

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