title: Effects of an education program on intensive care unit nurses' attitudes and behavioral intentions to advocate deceased donor organ donation.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Organ shortage limits the application of organ transplantation. The attitudes of intensive care unit (ICU) staff play an important role in organ advocating. The effects of an education program for ICU nurses on organ advocating were uncertain. The purpose of this study was to explore the effects of an education program based on the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) on ICU nurses' attitudes and behavioral intentions to advocate deceased organ donation.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants were recruited from 3 different ICU units in medical centers and were randomly assigned to either an experimental group (n = 61) or a control group (n = 62). The nurses in the experimental group received comprehensive education programs, and the control groups received a brochure only. The outcome parameters were measured by questionnaires at 3 different time points of pretest, posttests immediately after education, and 2 months later.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Before education, there was no difference in attitude and behavior intentions between the control and experimental groups. After TPB training, the nurses significantly changed their attitudes and behavior intentions on organ advocating, both immediately (P < .01) and 2 months after the education program (P < .01). In addition, multivariate analysis indicated that TPB training is significantly associated with the change of attitude (P < .01) and behavior intention (P < .05) of organ donation advocacy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  TPB education programs enhanced the ICU nurses' attitudes and behavioral intentions on advocating organ donation. Repeated education is advised to increase the participation of ICU nurses on organ advocacy.
authors.affiliation: Liver Transplantation Center, Department of Nursing, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, and Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: L M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: College of Nursing, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan. Electronic address: chiuchu@kmu.edu.tw.
authors.forename: Chiu C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Liver Transplantation Center, Department of Surgery, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, and Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: C L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Liver Transplantation Center, Department of Surgery, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, and Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chih C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Lin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D064648:Critical Care Nursing / Q000193:education*; D003479:Curriculum; D004509:Education, Nursing, Continuing; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007318:Inservice Training; D033182:Intention; D016014:Linear Models; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D024802:Nurse's Role / Q000523:psychology*; D009726:Nurses / Q000523:psychology*; D015397:Program Evaluation; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013624:Taiwan; D013997:Time Factors; D014019:Tissue Donors / Q000600:supply & distribution*; D009927:Tissue and Organ Procurement