Study protocol for designing advanced critical care practitioner training in deceased organ donor optimisation

Introduction: Organ and tissue donation is a vital part of end-of-life care, particularly within intensive care settings. The increasing involvement of advanced critical care practitioners in the UK and the rising number of organ donors highlight the need for specialised training in deceased donor care. Aims: This article presents the study protocol for Phase 1 of the Advanced Critical Care Practitioner Training in Deceased Organ Donor Optimisation Course study. The aim is to gather systematic data to understand the perceived training needs of advanced critical care practitioners who care for consented organ and tissue donors before and after the withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment. This phase forms part of a larger multi-phase research that will guide the development of a tailored training course in collaboration with the National Health Service Blood and Transplant service and Northumbria University. Methods and analysis: Phase 1 involves a cross-sectional survey of qualified advanced critical care practitioners and members of the National Health Service Blood and Transplant Organ Donation Team. Quantitative data will be analysed using statistical regression to compare practitioner confidence with training priorities, while qualitative responses will undergo thematic analysis. Future phases will focus on evaluating and refining training delivery. Ethical approval: Ethical approval was granted by the Northumbria Research Ethics Committee (Diamond-Fox 2024-8235-8916), and the study was registered with the National Health Service Blood and Transplant Research Operational Feasibility Group (Study No. 197).