Blood transfusions??? just say no...

simplyashley21 · Jun 12, 2011

:nurse:Macgirl: Totally understand this dilemma I'm a 3rd semester JW nursing student (JW's-quite the hot medical topic!). This is a matter of conscience which you should think and research thoroughly. The participation or lack of participation in this form of treatment may be viewed differently depending on perspectives and what individual consciences allow. You should discuss this primarily with the nurse supervisor or manager upon being hired so that the nurse supervisor or manager is aware of your situation. A career change isn't necessary unless you feel this field isn't for you. There are a multitude of nurses with disabilities/varying differences that make individual circumstances different and the way he or she practice nursing differently. Be strong, pray fervently for wisdom and discernment to choose the best unit/job for you. Hope this helps. :yeah:

LiverpoolJane · Jun 12, 2011

Macgirl - I have been nursing for over 20 yrs and am a JW. The first thing you need to establish is if you are willing to administer blood to another person despite your stance on receiving blood products yourself. For some JW's after examining the scriptures they have a clear conscience about hanging blood for others who have consented to receive it. If you still decide that this goes against your conscience then you need to consider how you're going to plan your career. There are areas where blood transfusions are less likely and others where it is not appropriate and patients are transfered to an acute facility to have their blood transfusion. In 20 years of nursing I have found that colleagues have been very supportive despite some of the hostile responses I have seen on this forum. As one poster stated he/she will see a BT maybe once every 3 - 4 months so hardly a huge issue in certain areas of nursing. I have been careful not to mention my own stance on if I am willing to administer blood to others or not as I don't want to influence your decision either way. PM me if you want to discuss further.

SweettartRN · Jun 12, 2011

Wow, this topic really stirred people up. I wonder why so many became so defensive? The original post was merely a request for information and guidance. Let us all remember that we are here to help one another, not berate and become defensive with each other over differences.
So to answer your question... like another post said, maybe you should look into home health or positions outside acute care. If you want to work in a hospital, there are bloodless programs/units and they are becoming more prevalent. Also, maybe perioperative nursing.
Another note...many are saying that we would do our patients a disservice by refusing to transfuse them. Keep in mind that bloodless programs are becoming more prevalent not only because of religious views, but because it's good medicine. Check out the website www.noblood.org or do a google search.
Good Luck!

I am with you completely. We all have beliefs, and I respect the OP for theirs. I don't understand why so many folks are ignorant of religious of beliefs and so intolerant of nurses who have some that may be different from the mainstream. We live in America for crying out loud.

I don't personally believe in vaccines due to my religious beliefs, however, if someone wants one, I load up that needle and will happily stab them; so long as it's not my own body getting it.

We should be more tolerant of nurses who have steadfast beliefs in their religion or culture. I respect them more than the lemmings who believe whatever they are told and follow the leader right over the cliff. It was the same CDC recommending vaccines that told us blood was safe in the 80's when AIDS was rampant. Just my $0.02

Guest 07/19/17 · Jun 12, 2011

I'm a Jehovah's Witness firm in my faith, and I have been a nurse for coming up on 8years now, while I worked surgery I have received orders to give blood a few times, while no matter what I am doing I will

Never do anything to compromise my faith....while I'm on the clock my main concern is patient care,

So what I did or do is when u begin working on whatever unit, talk to your charge nurse and let her know your stand and believe me if you have anything close to a descent charge he/she will make other

arraingments if and when the situation arises,and as a back up plan I would make arraingments with another nurse,that if she carried out those orders for me I would empty bedpans for them for the rest of the shift or week

Whatever we agreed on.....but in our beliefs as a nurse we dot control the orders we receive from docs,so if you get an order to give blood you're well within

Your religious rights as a JW to give without any fear of compromising bible standards but at the end of the day it is a conscious matter and

You have to decide for yourself what you're comfortable with.....I typed this on my blackberry so I apologize for any mistakes or typos....(Fat fingers and small keys dot mix)

Double-Helix, BSN, RN · Jun 12, 2011

I was recently hired by a hospital and while filling out the employment paperwork, I was given a form called "Staff Member Rights." This form says:

"Staff members may have religious, ethical and/or culteral beliefs which could conflict with various aspects of patient care or patient treatment. This policy is designed to protect sincerely help beliefs of staff members without jeopardizing patient care."

For those with conflicts, they fill out another form specifying their treatment conflict and the staff member will not be required to perform or participate in that area of treatment. Another staff member without this treatment conflict will be assigned to the task. The policy is not intended to negatively affect patient care, and states that is there is not adequate staff available to perform the task or if the treatment conflict compromises patient care, the employee may be reassigned to a another position for which they are qualified.

I imagine that this is a pretty standard policy, especially in places where the employees come from diverse cultural backgrounds. My advice is to be open about this with your instructors. No one should force you into something that you have a belief against. Actually, many programs don't allow students to give blood products anyway. When you get hired, ask about their employee rights policy and explain your conflict.

I see no reason why you shouldn't be a nurse. Nurses come from all walks of life and all different cultures. Just because you don't believe in blood products does not mean that you can't be a compentent, compassionate nurse. Just be prepared to advocate for yourself, (as you have had to do before, I'm sure).

Ashley

Bortaz, MSN, RN · Jun 12, 2011

Those of you who feel the OPs beliefs aren't important and should be subverted for the good of the patient: Do you also think that Muslim nurse should have to handle pork products? Should that Christian have to assist in an abortion?

Why is the patient's belief system so much more important than that of the caregiver?

talaxandra · Jun 12, 2011

I work with two Islamic nurses, who are both comfortable assisting patients with meals even if they contain pork. One of them told me that for him it was the same as if he was vegetarian - he doesn't eat it, but his patients are free to make different choices.

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!"

melmarie23, MSN, RN · Jun 12, 2011

Unfortunately, it's not as simple as "getting someone else to do it for you." If someone told me to do that, I'd be extremely POed at them - I have my own workload to deal with. As bratty as that sounds, the way nurses are being spread so thin, "just make someone else do it" is harsh and could easily throw the nurse off on an especially busy day.
I agree with what some others have said - your religion forbids YOU from doing it, not from other people. Don't judge their actions based on your religion.

I do realize that my experience on the floor is extremely short at this point, but I've seen the charge nurses make the assignments and do consider the RN's experience with certain diagnoses and also try to consider the nurses personal preferences also when making the assignments. True, it can get tricky when short staffed, but simply swapping one assignment for another really shouldnt be that big of a deal, especially if the RN in question is okay with being the co-signer of the blood product and is willing to do the monitoring of the patient there after.

with this profession we are expected to work as a team and be creative at times while still being efficient and delivering safe care. I dont see any reason why this gal's religious beliefs about blood products should exclude her from working in the hospital setting.

nohika · Jun 12, 2011

I do realize that my experience on the floor is extremely short at this point, but I've seen the charge nurses make the assignments and do consider the RN's experience with certain diagnoses and also try to consider the nurses personal preferences also when making the assignments. True, it can get tricky when short staffed, but simply swapping one assignment for another really shouldnt be that big of a deal, especially if the RN in question is okay with being the co-signer of the blood product and is willing to do the monitoring of the patient there after.
with this profession we are expected to work as a team and be creative at times while still being efficient and delivering safe care. I dont see any reason why this gal's religious beliefs about blood products should exclude her from working in the hospital setting.

I wasn't particularly objecting to that, more to the person's way they phrased it - with staffing getting as depleted as it is, it's getting harder for nurses to disrupt their time to help out each other - especially when it puts them behind on schedule.

Iunno. I think it's fairly clear that everyone has their own opinions on this - about whether it's a "valid" reason to refuse a particular aspect of medical care for their patients.

Bortaz, MSN, RN · Jun 12, 2011

I work with two Islamic nurses, who are both comfortable assisting patients with meals even if they contain pork. One of them told me that for him it was the same as if he was vegetarian - he doesn't eat it, but his patients are free to make different choices.

Yes, but should it be mandated that they do so for the ones that are not "comfortable" doing it due to religious strictures?

asluss · Jun 12, 2011

Honestly, about the only way you will work in an area where you don't have to worry about it is working in an physicians office or in long term care. Most long term care facilities send residents to the hospital for transfusions and such.

Long Term Care Columnist / Guide · Jun 12, 2011

I've been in LTC for most of my career and never seen a blood transfusion done on-site. Not that I'm not perfectly capable of performing one---I did them all the time when I worked Med/Surg---but that facility policy and the realities of nursing in LTC don't allow this time-consuming task to be done in that setting.

Religious prohibitions against blood products are a mixed bag, IMHO. On the one hand, it doesn't seem right for a JW nurse to work in a place where this is done frequently; 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.