title: Knowledge and attitudes toward organ/tissue donation and transplantation among health care professionals working in organ transplantation or dialysis units.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the awareness and attitudes of health care professionals toward organ/tissue donation and transplantation.
  
  
  METHODS
  We included 309 health care professionals from 27 dialysis centers and eight organ transplantation centers in Istanbul in the present study conducted from April 2008 to August 2008. The 24-item questionnaire, including items concerning sociodemographic features and knowledge about and attitudes toward organ/tissue donation and transplantation, was applied by face-to-face interviews.
  
  
  RESULTS
  An organ/tissue donation card was completed among 77% of subjects, while 90% were identified as supporting transplantation. The main reasons identified for lack of donation were lack of confidence (59.7%), fear of procurement (31.5%), and inappropriate use of harvested organs (18.1%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In conclusion, targeting health care professionals in the first place and development of nationwide media and educational campaigns on the ethical, moral, as well as religious dimensions of transplantation and donation seem crucial to increase the number of individuals who can act as role models via their positive impact on the general public's attitudes toward organ donation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgical Nursing, Marmara University, School of Nursing, Istanbul, Turkey. tugbademir81@gmail.com
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Demir
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Selimen
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yildirim
authors.forename: H F
authors.initials: HF
authors.lastname: Kucuk
mesh_terms: D000554:Ambulatory Care Facilities; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006282:Health Personnel / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016377:Organ Transplantation; D006435:Renal Dialysis; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014019:Tissue Donors; D014421:Turkey; D000078329:Workforce