Is This Work Right for Me?
Authorization work is deeply meaningful—and emotionally demanding. Here's an honest look at what the job requires.
Let's Be Honest
This work saves lives. It's also hard. You'll talk to families at their lowest moments. You'll work nights, weekends, and holidays. Some conversations will go beautifully. Others will end in "no," no matter how skilled you are. You can't take it personally, but you also can't stop caring.
What This Work Demands
Emotional Resilience
You'll encounter anger, grief, family conflict, and moral distress—sometimes all in one conversation. You need to stay calm when a father is yelling, composed when a mother is sobbing, and grounded when siblings disagree.
Ask yourself: Can I stay regulated when someone else is dysregulated?
Schedule Flexibility
Most authorization work happens outside business hours. Expect overnight shifts, weekend rotations, holiday coverage, and on-call responsibilities. Deaths don't follow a 9-to-5 schedule.
Ask yourself: Can my personal life support unpredictable, 24/7 availability?
Comfort with Death
You'll talk about death every day. Not euphemistically—directly. You'll discuss tissue recovery procedures, brain death, and donation logistics with families who are still processing the loss.
Ask yourself: Am I genuinely comfortable talking about death without discomfort or avoidance?
Tolerance for "No"
Even with perfect technique, many families will decline. Authorization rates vary, but you'll hear "no" often. You have to accept that outcome without internalizing it as personal failure.
Ask yourself: Can I do my best work and still accept outcomes I can't control?
Continuous Learning
You'll receive ongoing coaching on your conversations—tone, pacing, word choice, objection handling. Feedback will be direct. You need to take it non-defensively and implement changes quickly.
Ask yourself: Am I coachable? Can I hear constructive feedback without taking it as criticism?
Why Your Background Translates
You don't need OPO experience to excel in authorization work. These backgrounds build the exact skills that predict success in family conversations.
Hospice & Palliative Care
You've supported families through end-of-life decisions. The emotional resilience and family communication skills transfer directly—authorization work offers a different rhythm with equally meaningful impact.
Hospital Case Management
Complex family dynamics, difficult conversations, documentation under pressure—you've mastered care coordination. Authorization roles channel these skills toward life-saving outcomes.
Grief Counseling & Bereavement
Your understanding of grief and loss is exactly what families need in their hardest moments. Authorization specialists guide families through acute grief with compassion and clarity.
Healthcare Chaplaincy
Spiritual care experience—being present with families in crisis, navigating religious concerns, providing comfort without judgment—translates powerfully to authorization conversations.
Death Doulas & End-of-Life Care
Your comfort with death and commitment to dignified end-of-life experiences align perfectly. Authorization work extends that mission—helping families find meaning through donation.
Psychiatric & Mental Health
De-escalation skills, emotional regulation, staying calm with distressed individuals—mental health crisis experience transfers directly to high-stakes family conversations.
Funeral Services
You know how to communicate with families in acute grief—with dignity, clarity, and compassion. That skill is rare and valuable in authorization roles where every conversation matters.
You Might Thrive in This Work If...
You've supported families through end-of-life decisions before (hospice, ICU, palliative care)
You can de-escalate tense situations without becoming defensive
You're motivated by mission and measurable impact, not just a paycheck
You have strong boundaries—you care deeply but don't carry work trauma home
You're comfortable working independently, often overnight, with manager support available
You value work where every conversation has life-or-death stakes