Psychological/emotional trauma of donor families.

The experience of a traumatic event can be life altering. It reshapes a family's world. An Organ Procurement Organization (OPO) must critically understand the psychological/emotional trauma process to fully interact with these families. The OPO must comprehend the nature and impact that a traumatic event has on the mental processes of these families and the interplay and dynamics of organ donation. OPOs need to be able to assess the scope and severity of the event's impact on the various members of the family. In conversations with the family, it is vital that the OPO reframe the discussions of the impact of the traumatic event so that a family's ability to cope with the senselessness of it can be achieved. This article explains the trauma process and how OPOs may engage these families. It shows that an awareness of the psychological/emotional aspects of trauma can lead to consent and trauma reframing.