Blood Type and RH status

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I just had a clinical rotation on the mother-baby unit. At our post conference my classmate was giving us general information on her "mother" such as GPTAL, fundus location, and so on. She also stated that her patients blood type was A+ and Rh Negative. Our instructor stopped her and said that that can't be. She said something like "being A+ would contradict with her being rh negative." I did not know this and did not not ask her to elaborate because our intructor has been in an extremely bad mood lately. So we've been trying to limit our time around her. Lol. I tried to reseach it but i didnt find andything and I do not remember this being said in class. Does anyone have any information that could clarify this for me????? Does being A+ mean you can not be Rh negative? I dont remember!!!!! :confused:

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Specializes in Step-down, cardiac.

Your blood type is either A, B, AB, or O, and either Rh positive or negative. So she can be A+ or A-, but not both. There is no way to be A+ and Rh negative: If she's Rh negative, her blood type is A-.

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Specializes in Perinatal.

The +/- after the blood type is refering to the Rh factor. A+ would mean she's blood type A and Rh+. If someone is B-, they are blood type B and Rh-. Does that make sense? So, yes, your instructor is correct; saying someone is A+ and Rh- is contradictory. If she truly is Rh-, she would be A-. I hope that helps :)

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I'm not currently a nursing student yet although I was accepted. Anyway, from anatomy class the positive at the end of the A is the rh factor. So I'd be impossible for her to be both. But what can be is the mom was positive and the baby negative. I am negative and my first child was negative and my second was positive. But of course because of the father.

I could be wrong but I am pretty sure of my answer.

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Wow, thank you all. lol. Where was my brain at...:o.

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YES!!!!! that helps. They didnt explain it like that in class so this whole time i was thinking Rh was seperate from blood type. So now i know that the + or -after A, B, O is referring to Rh. DUH!!! lol. Thanks:up:

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With regards to the difference in the Rh factors, those with Rh factors being positive are also recipients to Rh negative. This cannot be said in those with an Rh factor being negative as they are recipients to only Rh negative.

Maybe your classmate phrased what he/she said in the wrong way.

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Specializes in Vascular Access.
I just had a clinical rotation on the mother-baby unit. At our post conference my classmate was giving us general information on her "mother" such as GPTAL, fundus location, and so on. She also stated that her patients blood type was A+ and Rh Negative. Our instructor stopped her and said that that can't be. She said something like "being A+ would contradict with her being rh negative." I did not know this and did not not ask her to elaborate because our intructor has been in an extremely bad mood lately. So we've been trying to limit our time around her. Lol. I tried to reseach it but i didnt find andything and I do not remember this being said in class. Does anyone have any information that could clarify this for me????? Does being A+ mean you can not be Rh negative? I dont remember!!!!! :confused:

Remember that Rh negative and Rh positive relates to the presence or the abscence of the D antigen. If the D antigen is present on the cell, the person is Rh +, if the peson does not have the D antigen, then the person

is Rh -.

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Remember that Rh negative and Rh positive relates to the presence or the abscence of the D antigen. If the D antigen is present on the cell, the person is Rh +, if the peson does not have the D antigen, then the person

is Rh -.

Yes. A, B, AB and O reflect presence or absence of A and B antigens, and Rh + or - simply reflect whether a D antigen is present.

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