Blood transfusions??? just say no...

Nurses General Nursing

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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.

What about Psych?

Trust me, they aren't giving blood in Psych.

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Specializes in Intermediate care.
Agree that finding a job outside the hospital would be best. Other things to consider:

1. Would you be ok monitoring a pt who is getting blood.

2. If a pt needed blood, could you call the provider to get the order?

3. Can you order blood fromthe blood bank?

Its not always possible to get someone else to hang blood for you so I think you might consider not putting yourself in that position.

^I very much agree. there is SOOOO much more to blood than to just giving it. Its monitoring a patient who has received blood, verifying blood with another nurse, ordering blood, going to get blood from blood bank, verifying with blood bank, taking care of a patient if something goes wrong with a blood transfusion, educating patients and families on blood transfusions and more.

It would not be fair to your coworkers do "dump" a blood transfusion patient on them because your beliefs won't allow you to care for that patient.

And just an "FYI"...i am Roman Catholic, and i know you compared this to abortions for us....i would still take care of a woman who had an abortion. and i would put my own beliefs aside to care for a woman while she having an abortion, despite the fact it is against my religion...because its my job!! And at the end of the day, im still a catholic with the same beliefs.

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. Even if you find a job outside of the hospital, you WILL be expected to give blood products in nursing school. It is a part of our health care system in America, and it's just the way it is.

I'm not so sure about that.

It would depend on the school, I believe?

We were not allowed to draw blood nor give blood products in nursing school.

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Specializes in Intermediate care.
What about Psych?

Trust me, they aren't giving blood in Psych.

Oddly, i've seen it done. Believe it or not, psychiatric patients have health issues too :D

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Specializes in Intermediate care.
I'm not so sure about that.

It would depend on the school, I believe?

We were not allowed to draw blood nor give blood products in nursing school.

Odd....

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Odd....

Yes.

It was one thing I never understood.

I can only imagine they had a bad experience with this is in the past.

I was a shame for the students.

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Specializes in ED, Informatics, Clinical Analyst.
Agree that finding a job outside the hospital would be best. Other things to consider:

1. Would you be ok monitoring a pt who is getting blood.

2. If a pt needed blood, could you call the provider to get the order?

3. Can you order blood fromthe blood bank?

Its not always possible to get someone else to hang blood for you so I think you might consider not putting yourself in that position.

Also, management could agree but there's no guarantee that some type of emergency wouldn't come up where you'd have to give blood and then what?

Then again there are providers that absolutely refuse to participate in any type of abortion ever no matter what, even if it means death for the mother and they work in the hospital setting so...

I think avoiding areas where you would be expected to give blood or monitor it would be the best choice for you and those for whom you are caring.

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There are many areas of nursing in which you could work without having to give blood. I think most areas of hospital bedside nursing would be out except psych. I've seen dialysis nurses give blood so that also would be out. Office, clinic, home health, information systems, long term care to name a few are open without risk of such orders.

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Oddly, i've seen it done. Believe it or not, psychiatric patients have health issues too :D

Yes, they do.

If someone needs blood, they aren't staying with us.

They are shipped across campus to the medical hospital.

Giving blood isn't likely around here and I have never seen it done.

Just trying to think if this gal has options.

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You might get the information you are looking for by re-posting and asking "how often do you hang blood and what area do you work in".

I have never hung blood in almost 14 years of nursing - I work psych in a hospital.

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Specializes in Psych & Gero psych.

Yes, I would do all care once it was started, and I would check off a bag with another nurse.

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Specializes in pulm/cardiology pcu, surgical onc.

There was a mighty big discussion about this heated topic not too long ago. You may want to try the search function to see all the different views about this question.

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