title: Teaching organ and tissue donation in medical and nursing education: a needs assessment.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Research on organ donation education is limited by its reliance on convenience samples (ie, small sample sizes and local schools) and its failure to assess methods of instruction on the topic.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To describe medical and nursing students' training in organ donation by examining curriculum content and methods of instruction by using a national sample of medical schools and a statewide sample (New York) of nursing schools.
  
  
  METHODS
  Self-report online survey.
  
  
  METHODS
  Nursing and medical deans responsible for curriculum development and evaluation.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants provided information on the inclusion of specific topics in organ donation, skills related to organ donation, and the declaration of personal donation intentions within their respective educational programs. Methods of instruction on such topics (eg, standardized patients, lectures, small groups) also were assessed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Although many educational programs include an organ donation component, a significant proportion of schools failed to provide instruction on donation consent processes, definitions of brain and cardiac death, and the discussion of organ donation during a routine health care visit. Most schools rely on lectures as the sole method of instruction. Recommendations are made for how deficits in instruction might be addressed through future interventions and education.
authors.affiliation: University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, 355 Baldy Hall, North Campus, Amherst, NY 14260, USA. aeanker@gmail.com
authors.forename: Ashley E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Anker
authors.forename: Thomas Hugh
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Feeley
authors.forename: Erica
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Friedman
authors.forename: Joan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kruegler
mesh_terms: D003479:Curriculum; D004501:Education, Medical; D004506:Education, Nursing; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D020380:Needs Assessment; D009518:New York; D013663:Teaching / Q000379:methods; D009927:Tissue and Organ Procurement; D014481:United States