Past, Present and Future of Organ Transplant Nursing in Turkey

The aim of this literature review is to provide information about the current and past history of transplant nursing in Turkey and to develop a perspective on the future of transplant nursing. Organ transplantation practices in Turkey started with a heart transplant in 1969, followed by a kidney transplant in 1975 and a liver transplant in 1988. Publications on transplant nursing in the world were first issued between 1965 and 1970. However, the first publications on transplant nursing in Turkey were issued in 1978 and 1979 after the first kidney transplant. Today in the world, in many countries where successful transplants are achieved, transplant nursing is a special area of expertise in nursing profession. In Turkey, no certificate program on transplant nursing recognized by the Ministry of Health is available. With the implementation of supportive policies in recent years, there have been worldwide-recognized achievements in organ transplantation in Turkey. Nurses have played an important role in the success of those transplants and in improving transplant recipient outcomes. In order for nurses to enhance their knowledge of transplant nursing, to specialize in this field and to improve transplant recipient outcomes, certificate programs and scientific meetings should be held, and institutions where these nurses work should encourage them to participate in those programs and meetings.