The gift of life : -experiences of the kidney donation process

Background: There are many people waiting for a kidney transplant. To get a kidney from a living donor has many advantages. The gift is about giving and receiving. The decision is characterized by life-philosophy of the donor. Aim: To highlight the experiences of the kidney donation process. Methods: A systematic literature review in which 11 articles were included, seven qualitative and four quantitative. The articles are quality and ethically reviewed, the results are analyzed according Granskär & Höglund and Polit & Beck. Results: The results were gathered under two themes: the decision-process shows the path from idea to decision and implementation-process treats the donation and confirmation of the gift. The results indicate that the donation process is a complex experience for the donor. Many emotions are involved, no feeling is right or wrong. It is mainly out of concern that living donations are carried out and a sense of strong validation for the donor to give the gift of life. Conclusion: Giving the gift of life, a piece of oneself, out of altruism and solicitude for one another according Martinsens philosophy of caring will provide a confirmation and satisfaction with life-long perspective of the donor