Recent years have brought an increased incidence of diabetes mellitus (DM). Annually, about 7 million develop DM; 3 million die due to its complications. Presently in Poland there are about 1.5 mln DM patients. Exogenous insulin treatment is life-saving, but does not assure adequate glucose metabolism and patients develop complications of long-time DM. Contemporary medicine offers simultaneous transplantation of pancreas and kidney for type I DM and diabetic nephropathy. European Union laws, accepted also in Poland, regulating donation, receiving, storing, and allocation of organs and tissues, made it necessary to implement those regulations in national legislation. The decree of Minister of Health through its executive regulations requires transplant centres to have descriptions of standard operative procedures and instructions how to handle cells, tissues, and organs which are to be transplanted to assure adequate quality. Operative nurse is the organizer of the surgical setting in the theatre; her knowledge, reliability and managerial skills assure the success of the transplant. In the operating theatre of the Department of General and Transplantation Surgery numerous procedures and instructions have been developed and implemented including procedures relating to simultaneous pancreas and kidney transplant. The programme allows describing unambiguously the scope of personnel duties and the way they should be performed. Operative nurse who is a member of the transplant team should be well qualified and responsible. Her reliability, knowledge and practical skills, as well as continuous education, are vital to patient well-being.

Keywords: The role