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Goal-directed strategies applied during the inpatient and preprocurement phases of care can significantly increase the number and quality of organs recovered. The aim of this nurse-driven, evidence-based practice quality improvement project was to optimize clinical management and implement accountability measures for adults in the intensive care unit with catastrophic brain injury who are potential organ donors. Within 6 months, the multidimensional change initiative yielded clinically significant improvements across nearly all quality indicators, demonstrating that hospitals can simultaneously support clinical recovery, preserve a legacy for the deceased, and extend hope for renewed life through proactive potential donor care.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.4037\/aacnacc2026987","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,2]],"date-time":"2026-09-02T15:29:09Z","timestamp":1788362949000},"page":"319-331","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Optimizing Organ Donation Outcomes in the ICU: An Evidence-Based Practice Quality Improvement Initiative"],"prefix":"10.4037","volume":"37","author":[{"given":"Cara","family":"Guthrie-Chu","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Cara Guthrie-Chu is Neurosciences Acute Care Nurse Practitioner, specializing in stroke and endovascular neurosurgery, Medical City Fort Worth, 900\u20098th Avenue, Fort Worth, TX 76104 (cara.guthriechu@medicalcityhealth.com)."}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"2471","reference":[{"key":"2026090211285983600_b1-0370319","volume-title":"Foundational Perspectives of Organ Donation","author":"Michetti","year":"2022","edition":"3rd"},{"issue":"suppl 2","key":"2026090211285983600_b2-0370319","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"73","DOI":"10.1093\/milmed\/usy083","article-title":"Catastrophic non-survivable brain injury care\u2013role 2\/3","volume":"183","author":"Neal","year":"2018","journal-title":"Mil Med"},{"issue":"1","key":"2026090211285983600_b3-0370319","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"E19","DOI":"10.9778\/cmajo.20160093","article-title":"Time trends in organ donation after neurologic determination of death: a cohort study","volume":"5","author":"Kramer","year":"2017","journal-title":"CMAJ Open"},{"key":"2026090211285983600_b4-0370319","unstructured":"Revised uniform anatomical gift act (2006). 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