Doctor Asked For A "Kind" Nurse

LasVegasRN · Mar 25, 2003

Further, what's the point of bringing the patient to the hospital ANYWAY? If you are of a belief that doesn't believe in life saving measures - which is obvious here - why not just keep them at home? Sign up for Hospice?

DebsZoo · Mar 25, 2003

Vegas,

I know of a couple religions that believe this.........but for the life of me, I cannot undertsand it either.

I believe in healing, yet I also believe health professionals were put on this earth for a reason.

Life is too precious.

allnurses Guide · Mar 25, 2003

I think there have been cases like this where the hospital can ask a judge to intervene.

My understanding of Jehovah's Witnesses is that if they accept blood or blood products, they will not get to heaven. So that means a great deal if you truly believe that. I believe it is a misinterpretation of the biblical injunction against eating an animal without draining it of its blood (a cleanliness issue rather than a "get to heaven" issue).

I agree . . . this is very difficult to understand. Hopefully someone can intervene legally.

DebsZoo · Mar 25, 2003

stevielynn,

I would be interested in hearing from anyone that has seen a successful judgement (as in the child DOES receive treament) in a situation like this. Any I have ever heard about going to court are won by the parents......not to say all have won, just the ones I have heard of.

MomNRN, BSN, RN · Mar 25, 2003

I share your inability to comprehend this issue. I also agree with the thought - why bring them to the hospital?

It is maddening to know we have the knowledge and ability to fix a problem if only we are allowed to. Also, it makes you wonder - is the teenager able to state his wishes?

SharonH, RN · Mar 25, 2003

It's a matter of faith. If you believe that your child would suffer a harsher judgment from God by allowing something that you believe to be absolutely against His wishes then you could not risk it.

MomNRN, BSN, RN · Mar 25, 2003

I believe if God gives us the ability to comprehend, understand, and share the limited healing powers He entrusts us with, it is a sin not to use them.

I speak as a Lutheran, not as a Jehovah's Witness. It is too difficult to comprehend their philosophy since I am unfamiliar with it.

I have had to let one child die due to our limited earthly powers, there is no way I could let another one die knowing I could fix him.

This is definitely a HOT topic and this post only reflects my 2 cents worth.

Flynurse · Mar 25, 2003

ARG!!! Yes, why go to a hospital????

sjoe · Mar 25, 2003

Vegas writes: "Further, what's the point of bringing the patient to the hospital ANYWAY? If you are of a belief that doesn't believe in life saving measures - which is obvious here - why not just keep them at home? Sign up for Hospice?"

Exactly. Except for the fact that if this person were to die at home, the parents could well be prosecuted for criminal neglect and/or child endangerment, as several parents have been in the past. This way, they got the hospital to abet and condone their behavior, involving itself in similar potential criminal charges.

Many hospitals would have simply contacted the state child protection authorities and gotten a court order to medically intervene in such a case.

Perhaps when yours is one day successfully prosecuted and/or sued for damages, it will alter its current policy. Until then, it is simply taking the "easy way out" by not standing up to parents such as these, at the expense of patients' lives.

"Kind" in this case, means "the kind of nurse who is totally compliant to the doc's orders regardless of the law and/or professional ethics and is unable to think for him/herself."

liberalrn · Mar 25, 2003

Wow. How incredibly sad. The doc's remark was uneccessary. I had a female pt. once who was 1 day post partum, readmitted d/t hemorhage--incomplete placenta. Her hgb upon admit was 4. She was a JH. We did supportive care in ICU, post-op. Her biggest c/o after the "crisis" was over was that she wasn't able to breast feed her baby. Sometimes--no ALL the time, I shake my head in wonder about people........It took her months to recover.