Jehovah Witness RNs

[aimeeinorbit]

Ok, here I am waving my big "look at me" flag, hopefully not painting a giant target on myself..... :uhoh21:

Im looking for any RNs who are Jehovah's Witnesses. I am one (yes, active), and I have recently come across a work related issue that I have a question about. If anyone reading this is an active JW, please contact me (see email address on profile page) if you are comfortable talking. Thanks!

[catzy5]

Your comments offend me as a nurse and as a JW. Never have I been told I needed to "snitch" on pts. who were fellow Witnesses; in fact, that would be unethical and an abuse of my privileged knowledge as a nurse.

You clearly have a problem with JW. That's your issue. But you really ought to have your facts straight before you start posting patently untrue statements. I don't know a single fellow Witness nurse who has ever felt pressured to "snitch." I don't even know where you get that. If anything, any nurse who went to congregation elders with confidential information would most likely be reminded that such information was privileged and inappropriate for discussion, no matter what the circumstances were. That article cited was written well before HIPAA. Some things have changed in the last twenty years.

Continue to feel free to bash away. I just wanted to add some factual information.

Hi,

I am a JW and a student getting ready to start the ADN program in January 08. I have done a lot of research on things I could possibly face as a new nurse and a JW. I have given careful prayer and consideration to the role I am about to undertake. I was reading this thread thinking it was great that we were all able to discuss this with other nurses and it's a nice forum to let others know what we truly do believe. As is typical on a message board, information being posted as fact is just not so as I have seen several times in the past few pages. I am glad that there are other witnesses here to set the record straight.

I wanted to add a few personal notes. I have thought about the hanging of blood a lot, wondering where my stance should be, would it bother my conscience or not? I firmly believe that the only time I would ever have a problem in this matter is if there were a patient who refused blood for what ever reason, i would not be in a position to try to convince them other wise. Also as far as "snitching" on a patient I can't even begin to see that as an issue, I patient is a person with her/his own thoughts and beliefs regardless of what religion they follow, the choices they make as a JW or not will be between Jehovah and them selves period. Why would I need to tell on someone, when Jehovah see's all?

I also wanted to add that I applaud the nurses who have been sinserely asking questions and wanting to learn more to better their patient care or to just answer the questions they have often wondered about. Typically you will find that a JW is more then willing and thrilled even to answer your questions, so if you do work with some please ask, they really want you to have accurate information. Getting your info from a message board where anyone can post their ideas you might not always get the "accurate" information you seek.

thanks to all the JW Rn's out there paving the road for me, I am so incredibly excited about journey I am to start very soon, and hope very much to do a great job.

[catzy5]

it's hard to comfort those mothers and not to be judgemental. i think that experience will haunt me for the rest of my life.[/quo

what would be tremendously helpful to you would be if you exercised some empathy. i'm serious. trying to understand how the mother might have felt and imagining some of the doubts that she no doubt felt as well as the grief that you observed her expressing might help you since you are "haunted", after all she is the one who lost her baby.

then if you still feel judgemental, think about all the parents who lost their babies after they contracted hiv, hepatits or cmv from blood transfusions. do you blame them for their blind belief in the higher power of medical science? no, of course not.

finally, consider this: the medical community has researched and developed new technology to decrease the need for blood transfusions as a direct result of the medical community trying to find alternative methods for treating jehovah's witnesses. how many lives have been saved or improved because of this?

there is a good documentary out, it aired on pbs a few months back, it talks about this topic, it is not put out by the wts, however it is very interesting for those of you who are nurses and interested in this topic further.

knocking documentary project

[twotrees2]

I have always wondered this.....

I know JW will not accept blood. But will a JW nurse hang blood? And will a JW MD order blood? Just curious?

i did work with one gal who was a JW and she would not hang blood and wuoldnot even go get it from lab. we would make sure she did not have to do these pts and it worked out ok.,