Background: A tertiary care facility can be overwhelming to patients and their families when they are called in for transplant. The off-hours nature and lack of predictability of transplantation can add anxiety to what is already a stressful situation. Although the clinical team is available to provide services, patients and family members have questions about where to stay, what will happen next, or may be too anxious to think of questions to ask.

Method: Using the Patient and Family Centered Care (PFCC) methodology, shadowing experiences were conducted on patients and family members being called in for thier transplant. The shadowing suggested an opportunity to improve the overall care experience. Specifics included logistical information about the facility, lodging resources and how to access them, updates about the donation and transplant process, and the need for companionship for family members who were alone. One of the family members who participated in the shadowing experience commented that a "guardian angel" would assist them during this overwhelming process.

The goal of the Transplant Guardian Angels program is to provide on-site resources to patients and thier family members when called in for transplant. The guardian angels assist with navigation of the facility, facilitate communication between family members and clinical staff, and provide compansionship to lessen the anxiety and stress of family members.

Results: Since implementation of the program in March 2011, the guardian angels have assisted a total of 186 individuals undergoing Heart, Lung, Liver, Kidney, Pancreas and Intestinal transplants. A follow up phone survey was implemented in January 2012 to obtain feedback. Patients who received the services of the Guardian Angels were asked five (5) questions:

1) were you kept updated regarding your transplant status

2) did your guardian angel assist you with navigating the hospital

3) did you find the guardian angel beneficial to your transplant process

4) would a guardian angel have been helpful to you during your transplant evaluation process

5) do you have any suggestions for the Guardian Angels program

24 patients completed the questionairre: 100% responed yes to questions 1 thru 4. The recurring suggestion received to question 5 was "keep it going," and additional comments included "the angel was kind, helpful, comforting and answered all of my questions"

Conclusions: The value of companionship is an important support for patients and family members in the hospital waiting for a life saving transplant.

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