Jehovah Witness RNs

Nurses General Nursing

Published

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!

Specializes in icu, er, transplant, case management, ps.
I never thought about the hanging of blood on others but if they are indeed a JW and an RN then they do need to follow direct orders from the MD eh? Good point!

Not necessarily so. If an order goes against the religious beliefs of a nurse, she/he cannot be forced to engage in the order, regardless of who has written it. As long as the employer is aware of the beliefs, the employer cannot force an employee to act contrary to the employee's religious beliefs.

Woody:balloons:

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Foot Care.

i grew up in a jw family, although i have not participated in jw activities for many years.

to the op: whatever ethical dilemma you wish to discuss with fellow jw rns, i hope you understand that if you choose to disclose confidential patient information to congregation elders, you will have to bear the legal and professional consequences for that decision on your own, because your (if you have it) normally does not cover deliberate professional misconduct. the congregation and the watchtower society will wash their hands of you. they will not provide legal or financial support in return for your "loyalty" to the organization, you will have to bear the consequences and costs all by yourself. the watchtower society's "loyalty" to you for your faithfulness will be non-existent.

i would strongly urge you to consider the following very carefully: can you afford to throw away the career you have worked so hard for and spent so much time and effort getting established? can you and your husband afford to lose your home? can you afford to spend time in jail? if you have children, do you want to have them visiting you in prison? how would your husband feel about you being incarcerated or losing his home that you share together? would a truly loving god expect you to put yourself and your family through such a terrible ordeal?

also: would not abiding by the tenets of your jw beliefs regarding reporting "wrongdoing" of other jws to congregation elders result in consequences for you? would you be disfellowshipped and shunned by your friends and family members until you complied?

i certainly hope that your ethical dilemma does not fall into this category. i can only imagine the deep pain your conscience would cause, because there is no way to resolve the dilemma without creating serious harm to yourself and your family, either professionally, legally, financially or spiritually.

with understanding and compassion,

hvnsntrn

ps: you may be interested in the following essay on the topic of such an ethical dilemma as the one i mentioned: an ethical dilemma faced by jehovah’s witness health care professionals

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in CVICU, MICU, CCRN-CSC.
Not necessarily so. If an order goes against the religious beliefs of a nurse, she/he cannot be forced to engage in the order, regardless of who has written it. As long as the employer is aware of the beliefs, the employer cannot force an employee to act contrary to the employee's religious beliefs.

Woody:balloons:

As a nurse in a proffesional relationship with another RN, whether I agree with their beliefs or not, I would hang the blood for them and sign the order off for them if the nurse had a problem with hanging blood. As long as I had blood consent from the patient. We all help our fellow nurses in other ways (turning, changing beds, helping with orders when another nurse is overwhelmed) why should this be any different?

I have also watched a pt die from refusal to accept blood. Sad, but that was the choice of the patient and her husband. Not made in front of a crowd, but discussed privately with the patient by the MD.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in telemetry, med-surg and hospice.

My best friends mother had cancer. She was a JW. Her siblings we devote JW. Her daughter was a nurse and not a praticing JW. She (the mother) needed a transfusion, but she held off and held off because she was so afraid to tell her family for fear of being shunned by the family. In the end she took the blood and her family did not shun her, but I agree these issues need to be dealt with in private. A patient needs education, emotional and spiritual care and it is up to them how much of their health information they share (provided they are alert and oriented)!!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

A physician can refuse to care for anyone as long as he is not abandoning the pt. Just as an anti-abortion MD can refuse to accept a pt who wants him to perform and AB, he can also refuse one for other reasons. If he has a current JW pt he cannot dump the pt without warning but he can refuse new ones.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
I never thought about the hanging of blood on others but if they are indeed a JW and an RN then they do need to follow direct orders from the MD eh? Good point!

That's not what I said. The nurse I referred to chose to follow orders in spite of her beliefs. Just as a nurse can refuse to take part in elective abortions, s/he can also refuse to hang blood for religious beliefs. This nurse's philosophy was that she would not accept blood because of her beliefs but if she had a pt with different beliefs she would not refuse to hang blood on them.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Peds Critical Care, Dialysis, General.

I work with 2 devout JW RNs. They both administer blood and blood products. However, if they ever had any hesitation, one of us would hang it for them. They both have their cards with their wishes on it, as well as for their spouses & children.

Our facility now has a "bloodless medicine" program. We have an excellent physician champion who works vigorously with the program. One of our JW RNs is a member of this program. It has been a learning curve for all of us. So far, our unit in particular, has had good outcome with using alternatives that are acceptable to JWs.

I am not a JW, and this may or may not be the OP's dilemna. I would urge extreme caution in disclosing anything, even without HIPPA. One must always remember these words: "He who is without sin, let him cast the first stone."

Up Vote Up Vote ×
I used to work with a nurse who is a Jehovah's Witness and she would not personally hang the blood, but she would have another nurse do it and then she would maintain the transfusion.

And as to the question whether an MD can refuse a pt based on religious preference, I'm sure that's illegal... but would you really want a doc like that to treat you anyway?

Pediatric doctors can and do refuse patients whose parents don't vaccinate (sometimes due to religious reasons), so I would imagine it is ok to do so with someone that refuses a blood transfusion based on religious beliefs. I thinks its best from both viewpoints.. I wouldn't want to go to a doctor who isn't on the same page as me with regards to treament.

Intersting thread. I never really thought of the conflicts that JW nurses might have on the job. I know I would not participate in an abortion unless the mother's life was at risk. But I do totally agree with birth control and would particpate in that type of care.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Aimeeinorbit said, in part,

I have recently come across a work related issue that I have a question about.

Although she hasn't returned to the forum to continue the discussion, we might speculate that her concern relates to a conflict between what her religious leaders expect her to do and what the law of the land requires of her.

In short, her religious leaders REQUIRE her to violate the confidentiality of any other Jehovah's Witness if she happens to have knowledge of "immoral conduct" on the part of that other person.

For example, if a person associating with Jehovah's Witnesses is not married and obtains birth control products, Aimeeinorbit is expected to share this information with her elders. If she does not, she will be judged by them as "covering over a sin." Other medical procedures would also be covered by this: abortions, treatment for alcoholism, blood transfusions, or even receiving a blood fraction that does not have the approval of the Watchtower Bible & Tract Society. Aimeeinorbit may have some very serious conflicts.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in a variety.

Hi all,

I think we are missing a very important component of the nursing/medical practice in general. It is important to understand (comprehend) your state nurse practice act in its entirely. This is what regulates nursing practice and one is held accountable according to the statutes, not what our faith is and/or religious afflications are. I have worked with several JW's nurses who licenses were reprimanded indefinite, due to failure to react in emergent situations such as, cpr, blood transfusion, etc.The only time that a nurse would be not able to carry out a emergent order such as hanging a blood transfusion would be if the patient was a JW's, with documented papers of refusal. A nurse who independently withhold meds, bloodtransfusion, and/or refusal to perform cpr, has actually neglected the patient as well as contributed to putting the patient's life in jeopardy, including causing actual harm to the patient. The nurse can be held liable up to and including termination and imprisonment. States laws vary according to the regulation of each board of nursing. I recommend contacting your state board of nursing in regards to laws in relation to this situtation. The board of nursing where I live do not sympathize in any way when nurses state, "I am a JW's, hanging blood is against my religious belief". They are held fully responsible if he/she indpendently choose to withhold care from a patient. I would reccommend if put in a situtaion like this or forseeing problems (initially upon hire) to collaborate with your colleagues (nurse manger/supervisor) ahead of time with initial employment so administration can plan ahead when assigning patients. Remember if the primary nurse independently collaborates with a co-worker to hand the blood for him/her, the primary nurse is still responsible for overseeing that the patient's care is being maintain, even if the assisting nurse foegets to hang the blood and/or something goes wrong during the process ,the primary nurse is still liable.

Hope this helps,

Praise, RN

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Aimeeinorbit said, in part,

Although she hasn't returned to the forum to continue the discussion, we might speculate that her concern relates to a conflict between what her religious leaders expect her to do and what the law of the land requires of her.

In short, her religious leaders REQUIRE her to violate the confidentiality of any other Jehovah's Witness if she happens to have knowledge of "immoral conduct" on the part of that other person.

For example, if a person associating with Jehovah's Witnesses is not married and obtains birth control products, Aimeeinorbit is expected to share this information with her elders. If she does not, she will be judged by them as "covering over a sin." Other medical procedures would also be covered by this: abortions, treatment for alcoholism, blood transfusions, or even receiving a blood fraction that does not have the approval of the Watchtower Bible & Tract Society. Aimeeinorbit may have some very serious conflicts.

Did I miss a post or something? I thought I read everything but I don't recall the OP ever stating anything specific as to her problem. I'm confused, could you show me where I missed that?

Up Vote Up Vote ×
My best friends mother had cancer. She was a JW. Her siblings we devote JW. Her daughter was a nurse and not a praticing JW. She (the mother) needed a transfusion, but she held off and held off because she was so afraid to tell her family for fear of being shunned by the family. In the end she took the blood and her family did not shun her, but I agree these issues need to be dealt with in private. A patient needs education, emotional and spiritual care and it is up to them how much of their health information they share (provided they are alert and oriented)!!

Geez!! Everything I am reading about these JW people involves the words shunned, ostracized, and disassociation for disobedience. Sure doesn't sound like something I want to be involved with. What ever happened to forgiveness and unconditional love? I could never watch a pt die for what I see as "no good reason."

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Add a Comment