The Attitude Towards Organ Donation: Differences Between Students of Medicine and Nursing. A Preliminary Study at Unizkm - Catholic University "our Lady of Good Counsel" of Tirana.

BACKGROUND:A favourable attitude towards organ donation and transplantation is fundamental among health professionals to promote consent, especially in a young healthcare system like Albania.OBJECTIVE:To analyse the differences in the attitude towards organ donation and transplantation and the influencing factors among medical doctors- and nurses-to-be.METHODS AND DESIGN:The article is based on an observational, descriptive, cross-sectional study. The population includes medical and nursing students of the Catholic University of Good Counsel - Unizkm of Tirana, Albania.RESULTS:389 out of 401 students took part in the investigation, of whom 324 enrolled in the Medicine undergraduate program and 65 in the Nursing undergraduate program. Medical doctors-to-be showed higher awareness about the issue of donation than their colleagues from Nursing, and they were more engaged in discussion with other parties.CONCLUSION:The preliminary results of our pilot study highlight the need to organise more training on the topic of organ donation and transplantation among clinical students, especially those studying Nursing.