Blood transfusions??? just say no...

[macgirl]

I would like to become a nurse, but I don't believe in blood transfusions, getting them or giving them. That said I would never tell anyone not to get one, or say anything against the doctors order, I believe it is a personnal choice but I don't want to have to give them. I'm in nursing school now. Do you or anyone you know have this issue and if so how do they deal with it and what areas or floors can they work on? I know oncology and ortho are poor choices. I was hoping for a job where It wouldn't come up often and if it did I could get the supervisor or another nurse to do that. while I did all other care.

[ICU_nurse]

We have addressed this in school. Just get someone else to do it for you. It doesn't make you a bad nurse or pushing beliefs....it makes you faithful to your beliefs and I totally respect that!

"just get someone else to do it". Not a great attitude to take into the nursing profession...

It's sometimes not that easy to "just get someone else to do it for you". Your colleagues will be just as busy as you are. It's often hard enough to find someone to check the blood with you, let alone perform the task for you. Of course it doesn't make you a bad nurse, and you're not pushing your beliefs on anyone. But think about your colleagues who will have to pick up the slack. Do they deserve extra tasks? Sure sometimes its easy to work around (we work around our staff who are pregnant by not allocating them cytotoxic patients), but what happens when you're the only RN on a night shift and a bag of blood has to be hung? Not an unrealistic scenario.

Also, I don't agree with your statement that members have said the OP's opinions aren't important, nor that they have to be subverted by the needs of the patient. What I've read here has been predominantly respectful, with concerns raised about how the OP's beliefs may affect her colleagues. Even though people have different perspective, nobody, for example, has written anything like, "I've never heard of such a thing, I think it's ridiculous, you shouldn't be a nurse with ridiculous ideas like that!"

Totally agree. Everyone has been quite helpful, suggesting areas of nursing that may have no exposure to blood transfusions. The fact that people are mentioning colleagues and workloads etc is mainly due to the fact that it is something the OP needs to think about. If you won't perform a skill that is required, do you think that that is an appropriate area for you to work in?

on the other hand, however, I'm a pro-life Catholic who could not and would not assist in an abortion, which is why I'd never work for a womens' clinic or Planned Parenthood that performs abortions. But I also wouldn't refuse to care for a woman who had just had one, or treat her for pain r/t her condition........that isn't right either.

Very well put! Knowing what you can and can't work with and then planning your career around it is not an unrealistic exercise

As OP have stated, catholics or other denominations of christians do not believe in abortion or the morning after pill, does this mean that they HAVE to work where this may be a common occurance or in a women's health clinic....NO

Of course they don't HAVE to work in an area where this may be a situation they are confronted with. Most would probably choose not to. Just as the original poster does not HAVE to work in an area of nursing where blood transfusions will be performed. I think that is the vibe of what people are trying to get across...

I think when you go to work, you go to work. Its not about your religion, gender, sexual orientation, color or whatever.

That said, use common sense. You don't want to give blood, work somewhere where blood isn't transfused: clinics, community health, case management, IT, etc. You don't like peds, don't apply for jobs in peds. You don't like geriatrics, don't apply at LTC.

Its not for the employer to make accomodations, its for the NURSE or employee to not apply for a job they can't do.

I don't discuss religion, politics, sex, etc at work - its my business and has nothing to do with the job I was hired to do.

I think that just about sums it all up! Common sense is all that is required.

Parko

[carolmaccas66, BSN, RN]

Just throwing my two cents again. I've always told my employers at every single interview I've had of my beliefs not because of the blood issue but because I would prefer a certain night and day off (key word is prefer not set in stone). And only one manager has asked me about the blood issue and when I told her the exact thing I posted not too long ago, she said that it demonstrated that not only was I a team player but willing to deal with something that made me uncomfortable.

Every single interview I have gotten the job. That is not to sound braggy or anything but like I've stated before this REALLY isn't that big of deal.

You sound like a responsible and mature person. If u were upfront with me re this, I would certainly employ you because u have shown a commitment to what you believe in, which shows strength of character. I have however known JW nurses who didn't tell their employers though, & I do believe if you REALLY BELIEVE in something strongly, you would not hide it. Being up front also creates LESS problems when ur the NUM or shift coordinator.

[Penelope_Pitstop, BSN, RN]

People kind of want to have it both ways. "It's no one's damn business but my own....but every manager and co-worker I work with has to be aware that, no matter what my patient's needs may be, I will NOT perform "

I didn't say that. Of course it is my employer's business if it involves duties specific to my job description.

Is it the government's business, though? Heck no!

[MunoRN, RN]

Not only is this impractical (what happens if beliefs change, the nurse practice act changes, etc) out is also probably illegal. Of a nurse gets a mark ob their license for not giving blood, it's almost assured they are jehovah witness. I'd a person refused to participate in abortions, they are likely catholic or christian. So while you might think "oh, the employer can decide whether to accommodate that" what you are actually suggesting is that employers be allowed to legally discrete against a person due to religion. This, of course, is illegal.

Employers can decide whether to accommodate a religious preference based on an "undue hardship". For instance, an employer can legally terminate a Christian Employee for refusing to work on Sundays if the employer would need to hire and train a new employee to work Sundays. Undue hardship also includes other employees; an employer can terminate the same employee if another employee is burdened by having to pick up the Sunday shift.

The refusal to hang blood would be considered undue hardship in an ICU or ED, but probably not a clinic where blood is never, or very rarely transfused, so a Nurse's job would be safe.

Regardless of whether or not you can keep you job while not hanging blood not the main issue here, Nursing ethics and your responsibility to the patient is the primary issue. There is if course some self-preservation expected, but to a large degree Nurses need to act on behalf of the patient and their beliefs, not on their own, particularly when doing something is not actually prohibited by your religion.

[Double-Helix, BSN, RN]

Employers can decide whether to accommodate a religious preference based on an "undue hardship". For instance, an employer can legally terminate a Christian Employee for refusing to work on Sundays if the employer would need to hire and train a new employee to work Sundays. Undue hardship also includes other employees; an employer can terminate the same employee if another employee is burdened by having to pick up the Sunday shift.

Terminating an employee is different than putting a public mark on his or her license. There is a reason that job applications are not allowed to ask an applicant to state their religion. There is a reason that employers are not allowed to ask about religion in an interview. You can call it "refusing to accommodate a religious preference" but it's also a form of discrimination.

**P.S. I apologize for all the spelling and grammatical errors in my last post. It was written on my cell phone, I didn't proof-read and the predicitive text isn't very accurate. **

[CapeCodMermaid, RN]

I hate giving injections. Years ago my boss came and told me 3 of us would be giving flu shots to all the patients in the building. With all the seriousness I could manage I said, "I can't give flu shots. It's against my religion." She looked at me and said, "Oh, well,hmmmm, I'll get someone else." I eventually told her that I was FOS and we all had a laugh.

Maybe next time I'll tell the owners I won't take care of a bigot, or a wife beater, or anyone else who's actions went against my beliefs. Trouble is, in nursing, it's not about us..it's about the patients.

[carolmaccas66, BSN, RN]

I hate giving injections. Years ago my boss came and told me 3 of us would be giving flu shots to all the patients in the building. With all the seriousness I could manage I said, "I can't give flu shots. It's against my religion." She looked at me and said, "Oh, well,hmmmm, I'll get someone else." I eventually told her that I was FOS and we all had a laugh.

Maybe next time I'll tell the owners I won't take care of a bigot, or a wife beater, or anyone else who's actions went against my beliefs. Trouble is, in nursing, it's not about us..it's about the patients.

That reminds me of a story a nursing tutor told me many years ago (she wasn't my tutor, I worked for her). Anyway they were trying to teach nursing students re being non-judgemental and they had two models of babies next to each other. One was white and the other was black. My tutor asked which one do you think would be illegitimate? Of course, you can't tell just looking at a baby, but she was absolutely astounded when nearly ALL of the students said the black baby would be illegitimate! What she was trying to teach was you couldn't tell an illegitimate baby looking at it, and it doesn't matter anyway - you would still care for that baby (as a nurse) to the best of your ability. Ditto with the above quote.

You can't tell what someone has/hasn't done - or is - by just looking at them, and the moral of the story is it doesn't matter anyway, because it's not your JOB to see that it matters - even if your personal beliefs do not tie in with your job.

As I'll say - yet again - don't create problems/controversy and animosity amongst staff if you don't like handling/dealing with blood, then decide to go into a profession that handles it regularly. It's just an immature, insensible and unprofessional waste of your time and our time as well having to accommodate you. And do not whine and whinge that nobody understands you - it gets old having to listen to the same complaint over and over and over! again.

[talaxandra]

I haven't read anything that was whine or a whinge from the OP in this thread, nor any claims that "nobody understands." I have read a whole lot of extreme theoretical scenarios that I strongly suspect would never apply to the OP, who seems to me a rational person aware that their beliefs may affect their ability to provide patient care and has asked for advice about how to minimise this.

I've also read a whole lot of posts about the massive burden checking blood would pose for other nurses (unlikely to be anyone reading this thread, BTW) for the OP, who has stated more than once that the only part she's not prepared to do is the actual checking and connecting.

She's also asked about recommendations for areas of practice where transfusion is a rare occurence, to further minimise the impact of her beliefs on patients and colleagues.

I'm so glad I work where the emphasis is on team work, where nurses are interested iin the wellbeing of their colleagues as well as their patients. OP, I hope you find somewhere similar - best of luck.

[Originalnex]

I don't believe in Blood Transfusions as well and would prefer a way to LET the doctors know I DONT WANT IT coz I would sue them I want to make sure I have away I can like a CARD that says you put blood in me I will sue you for Millions as it goes against my religious stance, not only that but lets say you been in an accident that injurs some one to point they are retarded in wheel chair couldnt do thins for them self I WOULD MUCH rather DIE than be saved by these bloods and be a cabage, me personally god forbid something happened if I was dying and it would be guaranteed I would die and not in pain or in less pain I would much rather die so I can see my God and creator faster however suicide I do not agree with on biblical side but if a person CHOSE to jump off a bridge and kill them self and their bleeding out ITS OBVIOUS they have nothing at all to live for but again I would never commit suicidie but think of the damage you would do because they would have to go in a mental house

[Rose_Queen, BSN, MSN, RN]

I don't believe in Blood Transfusions as well and would prefer a way to LET the doctors know I DONT WANT IT coz I would sue them I want to make sure I have away I can like a CARD that says you put blood in me I will sue you for Millions as it goes against my religious stance, not only that but lets say you been in an accident that injurs some one to point they are retarded in wheel chair couldnt do thins for them self I WOULD MUCH rather DIE than be saved by these bloods and be a cabage, me personally god forbid something happened if I was dying and it would be guaranteed I would die and not in pain or in less pain I would much rather die so I can see my God and creator faster however suicide I do not agree with on biblical side but if a person CHOSE to jump off a bridge and kill them self and their bleeding out ITS OBVIOUS they have nothing at all to live for but again I would never commit suicidie but think of the damage you would do because they would have to go in a mental house

Are you a nurse or a nursing student? If so, you're going to need to make sure your personal opinion on blood transfusions and suicide don't affect the way you provide patient care. At least, that's the gist of what I get from your post- it's a bit difficult to read without proper sentences.

[ItsThatJenGirl, CNA]

Are you a nurse or a nursing student? If so, you're going to need to make sure your personal opinion on blood transfusions and suicide don't affect the way you provide patient care. At least, that's the gist of what I get from your post- it's a bit difficult to read without proper sentences.

Bumps a six year old thread and uses the r word. I'm guessing a ****stirrer.

[heron, ASN, RN]

Do you believe that I should have the right to push my religious beliefs on you? Refusing to give blood/blood products to another person who is not of your same faith is the same thing. Please do not get me wrong... I absolutely would fight for your right to refuse blood/blood products for yourself and/or others of a similar belief. As healthcare providers we all should advocate for our patient's health... not advocate for or against a religious view.

No, it's not the same. OP is actually asking for ideas for work that would not require her to refuse something she ocjects to on religious grounds, which is exactly the right thing to do. She said nothing about obstructing access to transfusions for those who do not share her convictions. Re-read the original post.