Transplant Nurses Week 2022: How You Can Show Support

• Transplant nurses play a vital role in saving lives. 
• Although one week is not enough to celebrate the importance of these nurses, Transplant Nurses Week is April 24-30 this year! 
• Wondering how you can show support? We’ve got you covered! 

The Role of a Transplant Nurse: What Do They Do?

As of 2021, The Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA) reports that there are over 169 million organ donors in the U.S. 

Now, why is this important? 

Well, in 2020 alone, 33,000 life-saving organ transplantations were performed, meaning a team of transplant nurses were present for each and every procedure.  

According to Johnson & Johnson, a transplant nurse is a healthcare professional who assists in caring for patients undergoing an organ or tissue transplant procedure.  

From admission to discharge, a transplant nurse plays a major in a patient’s donation experience.  

RegisteredNursing.org outlines several specific roles of a transplant nurse, these include: 

• Collecting medical histories for donors and recipients, ordering lab tests to confirm a donor match and clearing patients and donors for surgery 
• Preparing donors and recipients for surgery, including educating them on the risks associated with organ and tissue donation 
• Assisting surgeons during transplant and harvest procedures 
• Providing post-operative care for patients, including monitoring vital signs and for complications such as infection or organ rejection 
• Providing discharge instructions for patients when they are ready to return home
  
  

What Can You Expect for Transplant Nurses Week 2022?

Unfortunately, there are no established events at this time for Transplant Nurses Week, however, that does not mean you cannot create your own!  

On top of this, several businesses give out freebies to nurses year-round, so it might be worth checking out if you are a transplant nurse!  

Interested in learning more? We’ve got what you’re looking for!

How Can You Show Support?

Past Patients

From highlighting someone who made a positive impact on your life during a hospital stay or sending a gift basket with a meaningful, hand-written note, there are so many things, both big and small, that you can do to lift a nurse for Transplant Nurses Week!  

Whether you were an organ donor, or received an organ, it is truly a life-changing process.  

Other examples of what you can do to show your appreciation include homemade meals, sentimental ‘thank you’ videos or meaningful gifts from the heart.   

There’s nothing that a nurse loves more than to see their patients be truly appreciative of the care that they provided for them and to know that they made a difference in their lives. 

Administrators

Hospital administrators, even the smallest token of recognition and appreciation can go a long way. 

Check out this example from Northwest Community Healthcare and how they honored their emergency nurses. 

Your hard-working nurses should be rewarded for their sacrifice, dedication, and endurance throughout their career, but more importantly, the last few exhausting years! 

Not only are transplant nurses managing to save lives, but they were doing so amidst a global pandemic.  

Family Members of Transplant Nurses

For the past couple of years, work in the healthcare industry has not been easy, and the work-life balance…well there is (or was) none.  

You may see your spouse less than you would like to, or maybe they had missed more of your children’s sporting events than they originally anticipated when they began this job, but it is a sacrifice they must make to save lives.  

I know it is hard for you, and it is just as hard for them, too.   

Just to be clear, Transplant Nurses Week should not be the only time you dedicate to showing them that you care and appreciate the heart and soul that they put into their career.   

However, making them a spa appointment on their day off or tackling all the chores for the week to ensure they don’t have anything to worry about when they get home is a good start.   

Like I said previously, a little can go a long way.   

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