New ACORN Guideline: Perioperative nursing management of posthumous organ procurement

Posthumous organ procurement is a critical procedure in which perioperative nurses contribute significantly to the conduct of the procedure and viability of organs and tissues for later transplant. The rate of organ donation has increased over 70 per cent in recent years 1, which saw, in 2016, a record 1440 Australians receiving transplants as a result of 503 deceased organ donors’2. However the rate of donation in Australia is still relatively low compared to other nations 1, and occurs so sporadically in most operating rooms that it is difficult to acquire expertise as a perioperative nurse.