The lived experiences of international operating room nurses in organ procurement surgery: A phenomenological study

This was the first study of international operating room nurses’ experiences in organ procurement procedures in Australia. van Manen’s phenomenological approach was utilised to understand the meaning of their lived experiences and four essential themes emerged. They were portrayed using a rainbow metaphor. Orange – ‘The surreality of death’, Red – ‘Personal and professional challenges’, Green – ‘Becoming stronger’, and Purple – ‘Personal beliefs and wishes’. This study highlighted the importance of cultural awareness for dealing with death, organ donation and inter-professional collaboration in the multicultural perioperative context. Clinical education and support on cultural and practice transition for international OR nurses are recommended.