title: The core of after death care in relation to organ donation - a grounded theory study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to investigate how intensive and critical care nurses experience and deal with after death care i.e. the period from notification of a possible brain dead person, and thereby a possible organ donor, to the time of post-mortem farewell.
  
  
  METHODS
  Grounded theory, based on Charmaz' framework, was used to explore what characterises the ICU-nurses concerns during the process of after death and how they handle it. Data was collected from open-ended interviews.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The core category: achieving a basis for organ donation through dignified and respectful care of the deceased person and the close relatives highlights the main concern of the 29 informants. This concern is categorised into four main areas: safeguarding the dignity of the deceased person, respecting the relatives, dignified and respectful care, enabling a dignified farewell.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  After death care requires the provision of intense, technical, medical and nursing interventions to enable organ donation from a deceased person. It is achieved by extensive nursing efforts to preserve and safeguard the dignity of and respect for the deceased person and the close relatives, within an atmosphere of peace and tranquillity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Sciences at Lund University, Box 157, SE-221 00 Lund, Sweden; Skåne University Hospital, Department of Transplantation and Cardiology, SE-221 85 Lund, Sweden. Electronic address: anna.forsberg@med.lu.se.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Forsberg
authors.affiliation: School of Health Sciences, Jönköping University, PO Box 1026, SE-551 11 Jönköping, Sweden. Electronic address: anne.floden@hjj.hj.se.
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Flodén
authors.affiliation: The Transplant Center, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, SE-413 45 Gothenburg, Sweden; Institute of Health and Care Sciences, University of Gothenburg, PO Box 457, SE-405 30 Gothenburg, Sweden. Electronic address: annette.lennerling@vgregion.se.
authors.forename: Annette
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lennerling
authors.affiliation: School of Life Sciences, Skövde University College, Box 408, SE-541 28 Skövde, Sweden. Electronic address: veronika.karlsson@his.se.
authors.forename: Veronika
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Karlsson
authors.affiliation: Queen Silvia's Children Hospital, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, SE-416 85 Gothenburg, Sweden. Electronic address: madeleine.nilsson@vgregion.se.
authors.forename: Madeleine
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nilsson
authors.affiliation: Institute of Health and Care Sciences, University of Gothenburg, PO Box 457, SE-405 30 Gothenburg, Sweden; School of Health Sciences, University of Borås, SE-501 90 Borås, Sweden. Electronic address: isabell.fridh@hb.se.
authors.forename: Isabell
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Fridh
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D001293:Attitude to Death; D001926:Brain Death; D064648:Critical Care Nursing / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D066296:Grounded Theory; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital / Q000523:psychology*; D013548:Sweden; D009927:Tissue and Organ Procurement / Q000379:methods*
keywords: After death care; Brain death; Grounded theory; Intensive care nurses; Organ donation