Organ transplantation: the role of the acute care nurse practitioner across the spectrum of health care.

Organ transplantation has become an accepted treatment method for a multitude of conditions once deemed untreatable. Increasing numbers of patients are treated by nurse practitioners before and after transplantation in a variety of settings, such as primary and specialty care clinics, urgent care, critical care units, and long-term care facilities. This article outlines the role of the acute care nurse practitioner in the management of adult transplant recipients in a variety of health care settings and reviews the problems and interventions specific to this patient group. Emphasis is placed on the referral process and collaboration with the transplantation team in patient management.