Future nurses educate community on the gift of organ donation

Pennsylvania College of Technology nursing students recently practiced their roles in promoting community health through a series of Donate Life events, designed to educate the community about organ donation and encourage individuals to register as organ donors.

They joined student groups from 11 other colleges in eastern Pennsylvania, southern New Jersey and Delaware in the Gift of Life College Challenge. Gift of Life announced in June that Penn College’s students finished in second place for their efforts and registered 265 people to become organ donors – the most of any college involved in the challenge.

From February to April, the students worked with the college’s Wellness Committee – which introduced the idea – to organize a variety of events, including a 5K “Donor Dash,” a themed bingo night, a social media campaign, donor registration tables and a three-hour “Donate Life” event that featured speakers impacted by organ donation, along with outdoor games, a DJ and food trucks.

“It’s been a lot of work, but it’s all worth it when we get to see the impact on those who need it and who are thankful for the education we’re able to provide,” said Marley L. Showers, of Selinsgrove, who served as one of four team leaders for the project. Joining Showers as team leaders were Emily L. Ferguson, of Canton; Caitlyn A. Kleinfelter, of Lebanon; and Jade M. Neiman, of Williamsport. Other Community Health Nursing classmates served as event-day leaders and social media leaders.

Among those impacted is Clark Pitura, a New York City police detective and the father of a Penn College student. After he was hospitalized with COVID-19, a combination of the virus and the medication used to treat it caused irreversible kidney damage. Pitura was still searching for a donor when he spoke at the students’ Donate Life event. He underwent transplant surgery on June 10.

Also speaking was Robyn Andrews, whose daughter A’Nissaa is in need of a transplant due to a kidney disease known as FSGS (focal segmental glomerulosclerosis). The now 25-year-old has had FSGS since she was 14.

“She has dreams and goals that she has to put on hold for the moment,” Robyn Andrews said.

A’Nissaa is on dialysis three days a week. “It’s debilitating,” her mother said.

“It’s the time,” Pitura said of his three-times-a-week dialysis regimen. “Fifteen to 17 hours a week are gone. Kiss them goodbye. It keeps going and keeps going, and it doesn’t ever change, and you’re thinking: ‘I really need a transplant. That is the only thing that’s going to get me out of this.’”

“Dialysis is not a cure,” Pitura’s wife, Lia, explained. “It’s a tool for survival. The hours are long and painful.”

She told event attendees that, on any given day, 80,000 people are waiting for a kidney, while 25,000 receive a kidney transplant each year.

“A new name is added to the waiting list every eight minutes,” she added. “Twelve people die each day waiting. Reading that statistic makes me sick.”

But the college support the Pitura family received, which also includes efforts by the Penn College lacrosse team, has been “nothing short of extraordinary,” she said.

“We’re blessed to be part of the Penn College family – not just for us, but for the hundreds of thousands of others who are waiting.”

Showers, who works in a local intensive care unit while completing her nursing studies, has witnessed the impact of organ donation.

“Seeing that side of it and then running this campaign is really helpful to solidify how much people and families are giving up to do good for other people,” she said. “It puts into perspective that one person’s death can impact the lives of others and give them back the life they’ve been longing to regain.”

The Community Health Nursing class is taught by Terri A. Stone, assistant professor of nursing, who is part of the college’s Wellness Committee. The committee’s mission is to promote wellness initiatives and provide information to employees that will equip them with the knowledge to choose healthier options.

“I became more interested in registering us for the campaign challenge as many on the Wellness Committee shared stories of people close to them personally impacted by the need for organ donation awareness and registration,” Stone said. “The personal stories of those awaiting transplant and the heroes who give the gift of life are inspiring this very important service-learning opportunity."

“One of the first things we learn in nursing school is education,” Showers said.

Nurses are responsible for educating the patients they care for about diagnoses, treatments and disease prevention. In the Community Health Nursing course, the students expand their focus, learning about factors that can affect a community’s health, including housing, transportation and education.

During the Gift of Life College Challenge, students shared that: 

• Registering as an organ donor through the driver’s licensing process will add a person to Pennsylvania’s registry, but not the national registry.
• One donor can help up to eight people waiting for transplants.

The students received support or participation from a number of partners across campus, including the Office of Student Engagement, Health Services, People and Culture, and the Student Nurses Association.

“It’s impactful to see how many people can come together to bring light to something,” Kleinfelter said. “Being able to spread the word for those who need it is inspiring.”

“Becoming a donor is something miraculous that you can do to save someone else’s life,” Robyn Andrews said.

To learn more about Penn College’s nursing degrees – which range from an associate degree to a post-master’s certificate in nursing education – call 570-327-4525. 

For information about Penn College, a national leader in applied technology education, email the Admissions Office or call toll-free 800-367-9222.