Paul Gill, from the School of Nursing and Midwifery Studies recruited 11 kidney donors and their recipients from a regional transplant centre.
After interviewing them about their experiences of the process, which is often associated with potential physical and psychological risks, he found that all donors made instant, voluntary decisions to donate and did not regret doing so.
"However, recipients originally showed caution because they were concerned for their donor's health," said Mr Gill, "they only agreed to accept after establishing that it was something the donor genuinely wanted to do.
"Recipients also reported that their lives had been transformed by the transplant, experiencing significant improvements in their general health and ability to do things they hadn't been able to do in years, such as exercising, driving and holidaying abroad. Donors subsequently felt an immense sense of personal satisfaction from donating."
Mr. Gill conducted the research as part of his PhD at the School of Nursing and has been invited to present the findings at the British Sociological Association's Medical Sociology Group annual conference in September at the University of York.