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Nursing Students' Metaphors of Organ Donation: Implications for Health Education

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Title: Nursing Students' Metaphors of Organ Donation: Implications for Health Education
Language: English
Authors: İlçim Ercan Koyuncu (ORCID 0000-0001-7604-8447), Kübra Nur Kabakcı Sarıdağ (ORCID 0000-0002-2590-2911), Tuğçe Uçgun (ORCID 0000-0002-6966-6287), Aylin Günay (ORCID 0000-0003-2238-0561), Betül Şahin Kılınç (ORCID 0000-0003-3811-0742)
Source: Health Education Journal. 2026 85(4):376-389.
Availability: SAGE Publications. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: https://sagepub.com
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 14
Publication Date: 2026
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, Nursing Students, Donors, Human Body, Student Attitudes, Figurative Language, Values
Geographic Terms: Turkey (Ankara)
DOI: 10.1177/00178969261422383
ISSN: 0017-8969
1748-8176
Abstract: Background: Organ donation is vital for sustaining the lives of individuals with organ failure, yet transplant rates remain low in Türkiye and globally. While nurses have a key role to play in public education and supporting donation decisions, limited research has explored nursing students' metaphorical perceptions of organ donation -- an approach that can reveal underlying values, beliefs and professional attitudes. Aim: To explore nursing students' perceptions of organ donation through metaphor analysis, providing insights for nursing education and public awareness strategies. Method: This descriptive qualitative study, grounded in Conceptual Metaphor Theory, was conducted with 205 undergraduate nursing students at a university in Ankara. Data were collected using an open-ended form in which participants completed the sentence: 'Organ donation is like . . . because . . .'. Using purposive sampling, 63 invalid metaphors were excluded, leaving 142 valid responses. A five-stage thematic analysis was undertaken, involving metaphor identification, categorisation, thematic structuring, validation and reporting with illustrative quotations. Results: Analysis identified four main themes and eight subthemes: Life ('giving life', 'being'); Hope and Future ('a light in despair', 'expectation of a new beginning'); Altruism and Sacrifice ('giving selflessly', 'responsibility to do good') and Rebirth ('a second chance', 'returning to life'). Common metaphors included 'water', 'hope', 'rebirth' and 'sharing'. Conclusion: Nursing students conceptualised organ donation as a holistic act encompassing emotional, ethical and humanistic dimensions, often linking it to continuity of life and hope, and second chances. These findings highlight the value of incorporating metaphor analysis into nursing curricula to foster ethical awareness, empathy and advocacy skills. Public awareness campaigns should also integrate values-based messages that emotionally engage target audiences.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2026
Accession Number: EJ1507422
Database: ERIC
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  Data: Nursing Students' Metaphors of Organ Donation: Implications for Health Education
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22İlçim+Ercan+Koyuncu%22">İlçim Ercan Koyuncu</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7604-8447">0000-0001-7604-8447</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Kübra+Nur+Kabakcı+Sarıdağ%22">Kübra Nur Kabakcı Sarıdağ</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2590-2911">0000-0002-2590-2911</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Tuğçe+Uçgun%22">Tuğçe Uçgun</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6966-6287">0000-0002-6966-6287</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Aylin+Günay%22">Aylin Günay</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2238-0561">0000-0003-2238-0561</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Betül+Şahin+Kılınç%22">Betül Şahin Kılınç</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3811-0742">0000-0003-3811-0742</externalLink>)
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22Health+Education+Journal%22"><i>Health Education Journal</i></searchLink>. 2026 85(4):376-389.
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  Data: SAGE Publications. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: https://sagepub.com
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  Data: Y
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  Data: 14
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  Data: 2026
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  Data: Journal Articles<br />Reports - Research
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Foreign+Countries%22">Foreign Countries</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Nursing+Students%22">Nursing Students</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Donors%22">Donors</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Human+Body%22">Human Body</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Student+Attitudes%22">Student Attitudes</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Figurative+Language%22">Figurative Language</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Values%22">Values</searchLink>
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Turkey+%28Ankara%29%22">Turkey (Ankara)</searchLink>
– Name: DOI
  Label: DOI
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  Data: 10.1177/00178969261422383
– Name: ISSN
  Label: ISSN
  Group: ISSN
  Data: 0017-8969<br />1748-8176
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
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  Data: Background: Organ donation is vital for sustaining the lives of individuals with organ failure, yet transplant rates remain low in Türkiye and globally. While nurses have a key role to play in public education and supporting donation decisions, limited research has explored nursing students' metaphorical perceptions of organ donation -- an approach that can reveal underlying values, beliefs and professional attitudes. Aim: To explore nursing students' perceptions of organ donation through metaphor analysis, providing insights for nursing education and public awareness strategies. Method: This descriptive qualitative study, grounded in Conceptual Metaphor Theory, was conducted with 205 undergraduate nursing students at a university in Ankara. Data were collected using an open-ended form in which participants completed the sentence: 'Organ donation is like . . . because . . .'. Using purposive sampling, 63 invalid metaphors were excluded, leaving 142 valid responses. A five-stage thematic analysis was undertaken, involving metaphor identification, categorisation, thematic structuring, validation and reporting with illustrative quotations. Results: Analysis identified four main themes and eight subthemes: Life ('giving life', 'being'); Hope and Future ('a light in despair', 'expectation of a new beginning'); Altruism and Sacrifice ('giving selflessly', 'responsibility to do good') and Rebirth ('a second chance', 'returning to life'). Common metaphors included 'water', 'hope', 'rebirth' and 'sharing'. Conclusion: Nursing students conceptualised organ donation as a holistic act encompassing emotional, ethical and humanistic dimensions, often linking it to continuity of life and hope, and second chances. These findings highlight the value of incorporating metaphor analysis into nursing curricula to foster ethical awareness, empathy and advocacy skills. Public awareness campaigns should also integrate values-based messages that emotionally engage target audiences.
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  Data: 2026
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        Value: 10.1177/00178969261422383
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      – SubjectFull: Donors
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