OBJECTIVE: Evaluate the causes for family refusal to donate organs and tissue. METHODS: Correlational cross-sectional study regarding the causes for the family refusal to donate organs and tissue. Data were analyzed using chi-square and Student's t test. RESULTS: The study emphasized that the main reasons for the refusal are: incomprehension regarding the brain death diagnosis (21%), religion (19%), lack of technical competence of the team (19%), long process (10%), the deceased was a non-donor (9%), fear of mutilation (5.2%), being buried as the person came to this world (3.4%), quality of the service (3.4%), decision of a single member of the family (3.4%), negative previous experience from another donation process (1.7%), body transfer (1.7%). CONCLUSION: The causes for family refusal are associated with the family members' lack of understanding regarding the brain death diagnosis, aspects related to religion and lack of preparation of the professional who performed the interview.
Nursing assessment; Education, nursing; Directed tissue donation; Tissue donors; Refusal to participate
