Nursing interventions to promote blood donor commitment: A rapid realist literature review

Background: Blood transfusions save lives. Although giving blood is of key importance to health care systems, there is still a long-term shortage of blood. Health services need the help of voluntary donors to provide an adequate supply. Nurses who work in transfusion centers play a crucial role in encouraging blood donor commitment. There is a need to identify and analyze donor motivations and effective nursing interventions.
Objective: To identify existing donor mechanisms in order to facilitate nursing interventions.
Method: A realist literature review was conducted in 2018 following the method outlined by Pawson. Articles were identified from two scientific databases, and nine scientific articles selected. They were then analyzed using the realist evaluation framework.
Results: The analysis highlighted three areas of intervention: mechanisms stemming from donors’ individual experiences; existing interventions that enable donors to go from intending to give blood to actually giving blood; and finally interpersonal interventions in the reciprocal partnership between nurses and donors. This relationship should help make giving blood a pleasant experience and have a positive impact on commitment, especially in relation to new donors.