The consequences of religious belief..

[collins anyiam]

With due respect to all the ''jehovah Witness" believers here...

i lost a patient today. He was diabetic, he had grade 3 foot ulcer that polluted the ward even after dressing. The only remedy to his problem was amputation. He actually accepted amputation but he had a very low PCV level, when the Dr told him he was going to be transfused, he strongly refused, saying "they dont receive blood" in our church. People! I watched this man die slowly and helplessly. What do u my fellow nurses have to say about this? Do u guys experience the same thing?:crying2:

[RKpianoman, APRN]

He didn't die helplessly. He had the choice to go against a tradition he respected, but he upheld that tradition. I'm sure he knew he was likely to die without the transfusion and I'm sure he made his decision with that knowledge. It's sad when anyone dies, but he did what many people don't get to do; he died with his sense of tradition and morality intact. Honoring his wishes allowed him to finish life in the best way possible for him.

That being said, it's a difficult tradition for me to understand. If I ever need blood, I sure won't turn it down.

[Bob_N_VA]

He didn't die helplessly. He had the choice to go against a tradition he respected, but he upheld that tradition. I'm sure he knew he was likely to die without the transfusion and I'm sure he made his decision with that knowledge. It's sad when anyone dies, but he did what many people don't get to do; he died with his sense of tradition and morality intact. Honoring his wishes allowed him to finish life in the best way possible for him.

That being said, it's a difficult tradition for me to understand. If I ever need blood, I sure won't turn it down.

I don't think I could improve upon this. We all make our own choices in life, he made his. Not for you or me to judge.

[jesskidding, LPN]

First of all it's hardly a "tradition". The refusal of blood transfusions actually is against their doctrine. They see it as a violation of God's law, or their interpretation of it. If a member accepts a blood transfusion they will most likely be banned from the church.

True, he did make his own choice. I do see this as something that could have been avoided. This goes into the ethical dilemmas that nurses face every day.

How do you think you would have reacted if this had been a child and the parents refused?

[RKpianoman, APRN]

How do you think you would have reacted if this had been a child and the parents refused?

It becomes a different situation entirely with someone who may not be able to make legal decisions for themselves; in that case, you should discuss other options with the surgeon, let your manager know about the situation, and then hopefully your hospital's ethics committee would be pulled together to deliver an opinion on the case. In a situation with a child, a court injunction can be sought so that treatment can be provided if it is agreed that that would be the correct course of action. Thankfully, those situations are rarely ours to tackle alone.

But how would I react emotionally to that? I'd have to step out of the room to keep from shoving my foot so far down my throat i'd be able to walk on it. The hospitals in my area have a good relationship with the Jehovah's Witnesses and have ministers on-call who can talk to a church member about their faith and blood-free transfusion options.

[collins anyiam]

I wanna hear from a Jehohah's Witness member. Your opinions and reactions pls. do u really support this doctrine?..

[SnMrsSmiley]

Im also curious to hear from any JW members we have. I can repect any adults decision to uphold their faith.... but I have to admit that if it had been a child that needed blood and the parents refused and said child died I would have been an absolute basket case. I do realize that its not for me to judge and I would have fought hard to keep my opinions to myself..... it would just be a very tough pill to swallow

[Anonymous2]

Did he refuse other alternatives?

[collins anyiam]

what other alternatives are u talking about apart form amputationt, when he already had gangrene, septicemia and a low PCV level. u can educate me pls.. waiting..

[MaryAnn_RN]

http://www.stgeorges.nhs.uk/docs/patient/JehovahsPatInfoBooklet.pdf may be helpful.

[AgentBeast, BSN, RN]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madeleine_Leininger

[SnMrsSmiley]

http://www.stgeorges.nhs.uk/docs/patient/JehovahsPatInfoBooklet.pdf may be helpful.

interesting! Thanks :)