INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND SCIENTIFIC INNOVATION (IJRSI)
ISSN No. 2321-2705 | DOI: 10.51244/IJRSI |Volume XII Issue VIII August 2025
Page 311
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Knowledge and Attitude of Undergraduate Nursing Students towards
Organ Donation
Muhammed Bilal M
1
, Suhana Nasrin T
1
, Sreerag E
1
, Vardathul Jenna MV
1
, P, Sneha Vinayan
1
, Shine
Thomas
2
, R Mageswari
2
1
BSc Nursing students, KMCT College of Nursing, Kozhikode, Kerala, India
2
Professor, Principal, KMCT College of Nursing, Kozhikode, Kerala, India
DOI: https://doi.org/10.51244/IJRSI.2025.120800027
Received: 26 July 2025; Accepted: 31 July 2025; Published: 29 August 2025
ABSTRACT
Organ donation is the donation of an organ of a human body from a living or dead person to a living recipient in
need of a transplantation. It is the gift of an individual to help someone who suffers from damage and gross
malfunction of their organs. Organ transplantation has greatly improved the looks of patients suffering from end-
stage organ failure. The present study aimed to assess the knowledge and attitude of undergraduate nursing
students towards organ donation at selected nursing colleges in Kozhikode district. The objectives of the study
were to assess the level of knowledge and the attitude of undergraduate nursing students towards organ donation
and to find the association between selected demographic variables with knowledge and attitude. The study was
based on theory of planned behaviour. One hundred sample were selected using a non-probability convenience
sampling technique. The tool used were a socio-demographic Performa, self-structured questionnaires and an
attitude scale. The data were tabulated and analysed. The study revealed that among 100 sample, 28% had
excellent knowledge, 31% had very good knowledge, 26% had good knowledge,14% had average knowledge
and 1% had poor knowledge. 26% had very positive attitude, 61% had favourable attitude and 13% had neutral
attitude. There was significant relationship between monthly family income and previous knowledge on organ
donation with the level of knowledge.
Keywords: Knowledge, Attitude, Organ donation, Undergraduate nursing students.
INTRODUCTION
Organ donation is the donation of a human organ from a living or deceased person to a living recipient in need
of a transplant. It is a generous act by an individual to help someone suffering from severe damage or malfunction
of their organs.Organ transplantation has significantly improved the lives of patients with end-stage organ
failure. Although it is now a routine, life-saving procedure, the demand for organs far exceeds the supply. When
organs such as the heart, kidneys, or liver fail and no effective drugs are available, transplantation may be the
only viable option.The modern era of transplantation began with advances in tissue matching and the
development of immunosuppressant drugs that suppress the immune response. These improvements have greatly
reduced the risk of organ rejection, although patients must still remain under careful observation. Individuals
who wish to donate functional organs—such as the heart, corneas, liver, lungs, and kidneys—can complete an
organ donor consent card. The family of a brain-dead patient may also choose to donate the patient’s functional
organs. Nurses should be prepared to discuss donation options and provide consent forms to interested patients
and their families. Until recently, most organs were retrieved from patients who were declared brain-dead.
However, new protocols for retrieving organs from non-heart-beating cadavers have introduced several ethical
and clinical concerns.The National Organ Transplant Act (1984) prohibits the purchase or sale of organs and
provides civil and criminal immunity to hospitals and healthcare providers who act in accordance with the law.
In India, only a few studies have explored organ donation awareness among undergraduate students in medical
and paramedical health sciences. Therefore, the present study aims to assess the knowledge and attitudes of
Indian undergraduate students regarding organ donation
1,2,3,4,5
.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND SCIENTIFIC INNOVATION (IJRSI)
ISSN No. 2321-2705 | DOI: 10.51244/IJRSI |Volume XII Issue VIII August 2025
Page 312
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Problem Statement
A Study to assess the knowledge and attitude of undergraduate nursing students towards organ donation at
selected nursing college in Kozhikode district.
Objectives
- To assess the level of knowledge regarding organ donation among undergraduate nursing students
- To assess the attitude of undergraduate nursing students towards organ donation
- To find the association between knowledge regarding organ donation and selected demographic variables
- To find the association between attitude of undergraduate nursing students towards organ donation and selected
demographic variables
Hypothesis
H
1
: - there is a significant association between knowledge of undergraduate nursing students toward organ
donation and selected demographic variable.
H
2
: - there is a significant association between attitude of undergraduate nursing students toward organ donation
and selected demographic variable.
Conceptual Framework
The study was based on theory of planned behaviour.
METHODOLOGY
Research Approach - Quantitative research approach
Research Design Non-experimental research design (descriptive design).
Population- The Population selected for the present study is BSc nursing students in selected nursing colleges in
Kozhikode.
Sample size: 100
Sampling Technique - non-probability convenience sampling technique
Settings of The Study- KMCT College of Nursing, Kozhikode
Variables: Knowledge and attitude of undergraduate nursing students
Demographic variables: Age, gender, year of the study, religion, monthly family income, type of family, type of
residency, previous knowledge on organ donation and source of information.
Tool
Section A- Demographic Data
It consists of 11 questions to collect Age, religion, education, occupation, type of family, number of children,
age of children, gender of children, monthly income, family history of substance abuse, and relationship between
family members
Section B – Self Structured Questionnaire
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND SCIENTIFIC INNOVATION (IJRSI)
ISSN No. 2321-2705 | DOI: 10.51244/IJRSI |Volume XII Issue VIII August 2025
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It consists of 10 questions to assess the knowledge of undergraduate nursing students towards organ donation
Section C – Attitude Scale
It consists of 10 questions to assess the attitude of undergraduate nursing students towards organ donation.
Data Collection
Data collection was started after obtaining clearance from research review committee. The subjects were selected
by non-probability convenience sampling
Ethical Considerations
The research proposal was presented before the Research Review Committee of KMCT College of Nursing, and
approval was obtained. Ethical clearance for the study was also secured. Subsequently, permission was obtained
from the KMCT Research Review Committee. Informed consent was obtained from the participants.
RESULTS
Out of 100 participants, 85% were aged 21–22 years, 6% were aged 18–20 years, and 9% were aged 23–24
years. The majority were female (76%), while 24% were male. Regarding academic year, 58% were in the 6th
semester and 42% in the 7th semester. In terms of religion, 53% were Muslim, 38% Hindu, and 9% Christian.
Monthly family income was up to ₹10,000 for 43% of participants, ₹10,001–25,000 for 26%, ₹25,001–50,000
for 14%, and above ₹50,000 for 17%. Most participants belonged to nuclear families (81%), followed by joint
families (16%) and extended families (3%). In terms of residence, 53% were from rural areas, 46% from urban
areas, and 1% from slum areas. A large majority (89%) had previous knowledge of organ donation, while 11%
did not. The main sources of information were mass media (68%), health professionals (18%), peer groups
(12%), and other sources (2%).
Table 1: Frequency and percentage distribution of the sample characteristics
SI NO
Demographic characteristics
Frequency (f)
Percentage (%)
01
18-20 years
21-22 years
23-24 years
24 above
6
85
9
6%
85%
9%
02
Male
Female
Prefer not to say
24
76
24%
76%
03
6
th
semester
7
th
semester
58
42
58%
42%
04
Hindu
Christian
Muslim
38
9
53
38%
9%
53%
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND SCIENTIFIC INNOVATION (IJRSI)
ISSN No. 2321-2705 | DOI: 10.51244/IJRSI |Volume XII Issue VIII August 2025
Page 314
www.rsisinternational.org
Others
05
Up to 10000
10001-25000
25001-50000
50001 Above
43
26
14
17
43%
26%
14%
17%
06
Joint
Nuclear
Extended
16
81
3
16%
81%
3%
07
Rural
Urban
Slum
53
46
1
53%
46%
1%
08
Yes
No
89
11
89%
11%
09
If YES,
Source of
information
Mass Media
Health Professionals
Peer Group
Others
68
18
2
12
68%
18%
2%
12%
The study shows that 28% had excellent knowledges, 31% had very good knowledge, 26% had good knowledge,
14% had average knowledge and 1% had poor knowledge.
Table 2: Knowledge level of undergraduate nursing students
LEVEL OF KNOWLEDGE
FREQUENCY
poor knowledge
1
Average knowledge
14
Good knowledge
26
Very good knowledge
31
Excellent knowledge
28
The study reveals that 26% had Very positive attitude, 61% had Favourable attitude,13% had Neutral attitude
and 0% had Negative attitude.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND SCIENTIFIC INNOVATION (IJRSI)
ISSN No. 2321-2705 | DOI: 10.51244/IJRSI |Volume XII Issue VIII August 2025
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As reflected in the figure, the majority of subjects (26%) had a very positive attitude, 61% had a favorable
attitude, 13% had a neutral attitude, and none had a negative attitude.
There was a significant association between the level of knowledge and selected demographic variables such as
monthly family income and previous knowledge of organ donation. However, there was no significant
association between attitude and selected demographic variables such as age, gender, year of study, monthly
family income, type of family, type of residence, previous knowledge of organ donation, and source of
information.
DISCUSSION
A similar study conducted in 2022 assessed the knowledge, attitude, and associated factors related to organ
donation among undergraduate health science students in India. A convenience sampling method was used to
select 199 study participants. The results showed that 84% of nursing students had adequate knowledge, followed
by 76% of medical students and 56% of paramedical students. Nursing students demonstrated a more favorable
attitude towards organ donation compared to students from other disciplines. A lack of awareness about organ
donation was reported by all participants, and they expressed a desire for the topic to be included in the academic
curriculum.¹
RECOMMENDATIONS
1. A similar study can be replicated with a larger sample size and in different settings.
2. A study can be conducted using an experimental design.
3. A follow-up study can be conducted to assess the effectiveness of a structured teaching program on organ
donation.
CONCLUSION
The present study assessed the knowledge and attitude of undergraduate nursing students towards organ donation
using a descriptive research design and a non-probability convenience sampling technique, with a sample size
of 100. The findings indicate that while the majority of students demonstrated good to excellent knowledge
(85%), a small proportion still had average or poor knowledge (15%), highlighting the need for targeted
educational interventions. Attitudinal responses were largely positive, with 87% of students exhibiting a
favorable or very positive attitude towards organ donation. These findings underscore the importance of
integrating organ donation awareness and education into the nursing curriculum to further enhance both
knowledge and positive attitudes among future healthcare professionals. Promoting awareness at the academic
level can contribute significantly to improving organ donation rates in the long term.
0
20
40
60
80
Very positive
attitude
favourable
attitude
Nuetral
attitude
Negative
attitude
26
61
13
0
LEVE L OF ATTITUDE
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND SCIENTIFIC INNOVATION (IJRSI)
ISSN No. 2321-2705 | DOI: 10.51244/IJRSI |Volume XII Issue VIII August 2025
Page 316
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