Donation Specialists are an integral part of our mission. They meet with families of potential donors on the most tragic day of their lives, and offer the opportunity to give hope to others through the precious gift of donation.
This is a role well suited to professionals with a background in social work, crisis intervention, grief counseling or family services.
The primary function of the Donation Specialist is to obtain authorization for organ and tissue donation, and provide donor family support and follow-up. The Donation Specialist should exemplify Gift of Hope core values of passionate people, outstanding teams and compassionate service.
The Donation Specialist position is a full-time, 40-hour, on-call position. This role requires the employee to be available on nights, weekends and holidays (as agreed upon by the department and the supervisor) to meet organizational needs and ensure proper coverage.
Responsibilities:
- Support Gift of Hope’s mission, vision, and values; adhere to its policies and procedures in carrying out the responsibilities of this position
o Respond to referral dispatches within established timeframe
o Thoroughly read and adhere to dispatch instructions, including HD attachments/special instructions and policy information
o Properly access hospital EMR
o Effectively and efficiently gather patient clinical and social/emotional information for evaluation purposes
o Determine LNOK and/or decision maker
o Properly document all relevant information
o Coordinate and conduct effective Patient Care Conferences (PCC) with internal and external stakeholders
o Facilitate necessary testing and services
Approaches
o Develop rapport with patient’s family
o Compassionately provide information about the benefits of donation
o Advocate for donation
o Counsel families through donation process
Authorization
o Obtain informed consent using proper Gift of Hope documentation/forms
o Communicate with ME/Coroner as required
o Make Medical Record Q/A corrections in timely fashion, as needed
Family Support
o Be patient, respectful and compassionate with family’s bereavement and decision-making processes
o Establish appropriate psycho-social boundaries
o Provide appropriate clinical and technical support before, during and after donation process
o Provide timely follow-up information regarding outcome during the case and post-op
Hospital Development
o Establish and maintain meaningful relationships with hospital staff
o Provide training and education on critical and intensive care units
o Conduct paper rounds where appropriate
o Attend internal and external hospital debriefs
- When performing any of the essential functions outlined above:
o Demonstrate respect – represent Gift of Hope positively through your actions and words; address everyone with compassion, patience and humility; honor diversity
o Communicate openly – listen with empathy and an open mind; be honest in all communication; keep all participants updated with relevant information; work collaboratively with all involved people and departments
o Strive for excellence – identify areas for process improvement and recommend solutions; share your knowledge and expertise; investigate and share best practices
The following identifies the minimum education and training required to perform the essential functions of the job:
- Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution in an allied healthcare field, business administration, education, advocacy, or related field; or equivalent work experience