Transplant Coordinator

For a complex surgery like an organ transplant to be successful, the skills of a Transplant Coordinator are needed. Transplant Coordinators outline a treatment plan for the patient, run tests to ensure they’re strong enough to undergo surgery, and help them adjust to their new life after the surgery.

Your day as a Transplant Coordinator starts by checking on patients who are recovering from transplant surgeries. You make your daily rounds giving out medication, checking the patient’s physical condition, and informing them on results from the latest blood tests.

When a patient who needs surgery comes in, you perform a thorough physical examination to determine the best course of action. If a matching organ is available, you schedule the surgery, explain the procedure to the patient, and cover all the possible risks or complications that can occur. Many patients wait five or more years for a matching organ donor, so the news that you can finally perform the surgery is greeted with great joy.

When a person wants to sign up as an organ donor, you perform tests to determine if they make a good candidate, and to document factors like their blood type. In the future, this information will match them to a potential recipient.

It’s a job that brings hope to sick people whose bodies can no longer function as they should. In many ways, you give them a second chance at a fulfilling life.