Interpreting in end of life and organ and tissue donation conversations - a DVD to guide and support interpreters, medical, nursing, social work and pastoral care staff involved in these conversations.

Monica Dowling¹

¹Organ and Tissue Donation, Northern Health, Melbourne, Australia

In all end of life and organ donation family conversations specific training of medical and nursing staff is considered essential. Interpreters are asked to deliver the healthcare professional’s very challenging and often emotive discussions to grieving families without any specific training, or even awareness of the orientation of these conversations.

Interpreters involved in end of life and organ donation situations need to feel supported in their role, to be familiar with the terms and concepts associated with end of life and organ donation, to have some understanding of the organ donation process and to have considered their own attitudes to, and assumptions about end of life and organ donation.

This DVD highlights the multiple conversations on end of life and organ donation that occur in the emergency department and in the intensive care unit: 1) Breaking bad news to a Turkish family in the Emergency Department. 2) Discussing futility of treatment and withdrawal with a Chinese family in the Intensive Care Unit. 3) Completing the personal questionnaire with an Arabic family eliciting donor information on lifestyle, drug and sexual history. 4) Obtaining consent and discussing the organ donation process with an Italian family residing overseas using the Skype medium. A number of culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) actors portray families participating in these conversations. Segments of difficult and sensitive conversations are highlighted eliciting a range of family responses. Experienced interpreters provide tips on the successful and effective utilization of the interpreter when conducting face to face conversations and conversations through the Skype medium. Information on end of life and organ donation processes is provided in a logical and contextual format. A menu option allows for the DVD to be played in its entirety or for each scenario to be played individually.