Kate Spiering is a Programmatic Nurse Specialist in Neurological and Trauma Critical Care at UPMC Presbyterian. As a clinically focused PNS, she works with the Level 1 trauma program and Comprehensive Stroke Center at her hospital to improve patient care and outcomes, and functions as the nurse champion for organ donation.
From Potholes to Pavement: Driving DCD Performance Through Specialized Hospital Team
Thursday, December 10, 2020, at 2:00pm
UPMC Presbyterian, a high-performing donor hospital and tertiary care academic hospital, implemented a multi-phase restructuring of their DCD process. These enhanced procedures, which included a specialized on-call team of critical care physicians and ICU nurses, successfully decreased critical process deviations, improved outcomes, and increased both frequency and volume of DCD organ donation. The plan also resulted in key improvements in patient safety, hospital regulatory, and staff and donor family satisfaction.