Supporting Organ and Tissue Donation in Clinical Settings: The Pennsylvania Requirement
Course Overview
Every day in the United States, approximately 13 people die waiting for an organ transplant. As of 2026, more than 100,000 individuals remain on the national transplant waiting list, and a new name is added every 8 minutes. In Pennsylvania alone, more than 6,000 residents are awaiting lifesaving transplants, yet the gap between supply and demand persists --not solely due to a lack of willing donors, but often because of missed opportunities within the clinical setting. Pennsylvania law, under Act 90 of 2018, mandates that licensed nurses and physicians receive education in organ and tissue donation as part of their continuing education requirements. This course fulfills that obligation. Its purpose is not merely regulatory compliance; it is to equip the bedside clinician with the knowledge, confidence, and communication skills to identify potential donors, support grieving families, collaborate with procurement organizations, and deliver compassionate care at one of the most sensitive moments in the human experience.
Learning Outcomes
Upon the completion of this course, the learner should be able to:
- Describe the structure and key stakeholders of the U.S. organ donation and transplantation system, including the roles of OPTN, UNOS, OPOs, and Pennsylvania's designated procurement organizations.
- Differentiate between donation after brain death (DBD) and donation after circulatory death (DCD).
- Apply the clinical criteria and exclusion criteria for determining neurological death, including the required components of the brain death examination and the conditions under which ancillary testing is warranted.
- Demonstrate effective communication strategies for notifying families of brain death and discussing donation.
- Implement evidence-based organ donor management goals (DMGs) to optimize hemodynamic stability, respiratory function, and hormonal balance in the deceased donor.
About the Author/Presenter
Mary Franks, MSN, APRN, FNP-C, is a board-certified Family Nurse Practitioner and NetCE Nurse Planner. She works as a Nurse Division Planner for NetCE and a per diem nurse practitioner in urgent care in Central Illinois. Mary graduated with her Associate’s degree in nursing from Carl Sandburg College, her BSN from OSF Saint Francis Medical Center College of Nursing in 2013, and her MSN with a focus on nursing education from Chamberlain University in 2017. She received a second master's degree in nursing as a Family Nurse Practitioner from Chamberlain University in 2019. She is an adjunct faculty member for a local university in Central Illinois in the MSN FNP program. Her previous nursing experience includes emergency/trauma nursing, critical care nursing, surgery, pediatrics, and urgent care. As a nurse practitioner, she has practiced as a primary care provider for long-term care facilities and school-based health services. She enjoys caring for minor illnesses and injuries, prevention of disease processes, health, and wellness. In her spare time, she stays busy with her two children and husband, coaching baseball, staying active with her own personal fitness journey, and cooking. She is a member of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners and the Illinois Society of Advanced Practice Nursing, for which she is a member of the bylaws committee.
Audience/Accreditations and Approvals
TRC Healthcare/ NetCE
In support of improving patient care, this activity has been planned and implemented by TRC Healthcare/ NetCE. TRC Healthcare/NetCE is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.
This course is designed for the following healthcare professions (select your profession for details):
Nursing, Physician
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