I had a very interesting discussion with a work colleague today based on a topic he saw on another forum. It turned into a very heated argument amoungst staff members and so I would be interested to see what anyone else thinks.
The question posed was: 'Could a health professional refuse to treat a patient?' The answer to this was of course: yes a health professional does have that right.. especially in cases where treatment options can be unsafe for the nurse or the client.
However.... could a health professional refuse to treat on the basis of religious or cultural beleifs??
For example.. lets say a catholic pharmacist refuses to fill a prescription for an oral contraceptive based on the fact that this is against the pharmacist's beleifs?? The pharmacist has the right to refuse.. but by doing so is he infringing on the cultural beleifs of the client?? Or should he deny his own beleifs between the hours of nine to five to appease others??
Or another example: a surgeon in an emergency department refusing to give a patient a blood transfusion due to the surgeons religious beleifs??
My workplace was split in two by this argument. On one hand some people think that the right to refuse should be irrespective of the type of reason, or simply you should not enter a job in which you have obvious personal dilemmas.
On the other hand, some believe that letting your own personal beleifs affect the health of your clients is unprofessional, and that refusal of treatment should not be for personal cultural or religious beleifs but instead should be for safety or precautionary reasons.
There is alot of talk about cultural safety when a nurse is dealing with a client.. but how about the respect of our own cultures in our nursing practice?
It poses some interesting questions.. Id be glad to know what you all think
What I would really like to see are people with strong religious convictions realizing that their convictions are just their own and it is not their place to force their beliefs on anyone else. I'm really appalled by some of the things I'm reading.
Specializes in Med/Surg, ER, L&D, ICU, OR, Educator.
What I would really like to see are people with strong religious convictions realizing that their convictions are just their own and it is not their place to force their beliefs on anyone else.
On the other hand, some believe that letting your own personal beleifs affect the health of your clients is unprofessional, and that refusal of treatment should not be for personal cultural or religious beleifs but instead should be for safety or precautionary reasons.
What I would really like to see are people with strong religious convictions realizing that their convictions are just their own and it is not their place to force their beliefs on anyone else. I'm really appalled by some of the things I'm reading.
Like what, exactly? With all due respect, Sharon, everyone has beliefs and values "forced" on them from a very early age--the beliefs and values of a culture, of a society, of a community, a family.
So who's right--the individual who blindly follows the path mapped out by his socio-cultural environment or the individual who's investigated various paths fully and still comes up with Answer J?
The point is, "rightness" does not belong in liberal theory, but "rights" do. Therefore, we who may have appalled you do not apologise for the right to believe what we believe.
In the meantime, we naturally gravitate toward environments (home, work, school) that do not significantly conflict with said beliefs.
I didn't see anyone say that you don't have the right to believe anything you want to believe. I'm with you Sharon. Some people just can't understand the difference between having personal beliefs and forcing those beliefs on others. As long as I'm asking for a service that is legal, I will expect my health care providers to provide it or refer me to someone who can.
Sometimes I feel like I just keep repeating myself.
The surgeon example is hardly within the realm of possibility. No surgeon who is a JW would allow a pt to be harmed because of his/her beliefs. It would be immoral and unethical, both from a professional and from his/her religious standpoint.
Administration of blood/blood products is a conscience decision for JW; some are fine with it, others aren't. Those who aren't work something out with their colleagues (as Tweety mentioned) or choose to work in areas where blood transfusions are highly unlikely.
It might be best for someone who isn't familiar with JW beliefs, doesn't know any JW, and doesn't work with any JW to not comment on the matter. That is how misunderstandings become "facts."
I didn't see anyone say that you don't have the right to believe anything you want to believe. I'm with you Sharon. Some people just can't understand the difference between having personal beliefs and forcing those beliefs on others. As long as I'm asking for a service that is legal, I will expect my health care providers to provide it or refer me to someone who can.
Perhaps I misunderstood. I didn't really see anyone on this thread trying to force any beliefs on anyone, but maybe I didn't read carefully enough.
Specializes in Telemetry, ICU, Resource Pool, Dialysis.
I'm being neutral here, trying, anyway!:) I think, to some of us, the act of refusing to perform procedures on, or administer medication to, or otherwise care for someone else, on the basis of your own beliefs, is seen as "forcing" your beliefs onto that person. I sort of see it that way. Having someone else around to do it if you can't is one thing, but what if there isn't anybody else? Or others are too busy?
Like the example of the nurse not wanting to administer everclear because her religion forbade the consumption of alcohol, even though the patient (presumably) did not believe it was wrong for him.
I could not put up a morphine drip for the usage of putting a person to sleep. I can put one up for pain control not just because the person is coming back and forth to the hospital and nothing else can be done. It is not legal for morphine to be use as suicide method. I explained to my superviser and to the doctor in charge how I feel about it and then I would ask another nurse to complete the order and to maintain it. I was successful to meet the request of the order and to help the patient to cross into the next world. I just feel when God is ready for you then he will send for you. I do not want it on my conscious about the death of a person and explaining my actions to God, Therefore, I can understand the positive usage of morphine and the application of allowing someone a peaceful death when the Lord has not called for them.
Yes, if a person is suffering from pain than I would put the morphine up. Yes, I can maintain the line just cannot increase it so death can occur. I hope you can understand it.
Have a great day and evening,
Buttons
PS. I think too many doctors are quick to order a morphine drip for several of patients. However, they are not face with application of thier order. Or how it effects a person who is carrying out their order.
I'm being neutral here, trying, anyway!:) I think, to some of us, the act of refusing to perform procedures on, or administer medication to, or otherwise care for someone else, on the basis of your own beliefs, is seen as "forcing" your beliefs onto that person. I sort of see it that way. Having someone else around to do it if you can't is one thing, but what if there isn't anybody else? Or others are too busy?
Like the example of the nurse not wanting to administer everclear because her religion forbade the consumption of alcohol, even though the patient (presumably) did not believe it was wrong for him.
Problem is, we're human, not "neutral." Discrimination happens based on our inherent beliefs and we simply cannot get rid of them completely in order to do our job.
For instance, if I work in an ER and I believe that Pt. A is drug-seeking, I might discriminate in my behavior toward that patient because I believe that drug addicts are "bad" and drug-seeking behaviors are "wrong."
This kind of cultural discrimination happens every day in every ER in this nation and most of us just look the other way because it's so prevalent.
Is that not "forcing" a belief system on a patient?
I'm struggling to differentiate here between what posters on this thread are claiming are "forcing" beliefs and "expressing" beliefs.
IMO, to "force" one's beliefs would be to actively promote one's beliefs to a patient by doing or not doing a specific medical procedure. I can work with alcoholics even though my religion prohibits overindulgence of strong drink, but I cannot put myself into a situation where I might have to assist with an abortion.
Specializes in Gerontological Nursing, Acute Rehab.
Interesting replies...this has really made me think...
I have deleted many replies that I've typed up because I just can't express my thoughts well. Bottom line is that I don't think the pharmacist has a right to refuse to fill certain scripts, because the pharmacists main job IS filling scripts. Same thing with the surgeon scenario. You just can't pick and choose which parts of your job you will do when a big chunk of your job may be something you don't agree with. As nurses, we have more control over where we work, so we can typically avoid that situation. However, if I was faced with a patient that for some reason was getting an abortion at the acute rehab that I work at, I think (and stress that word) that I would still care for her. I may try to not be in the room when the abortion was actually being done, but all pre and post care I would do. I am her nurse. She has trust in me that I will take care of her. My beliefs have nothing to do with that. There are limits to that statement though, because there are some abortion procedures that I absolutely will not have anything to do with....but that is why I work where I do.....the chances of coming across that are slim to none.
I think we need to be careful about touting our "beliefs" when we are at work.....it can turn into an ugly and difficult situation so easily.
Specializes in Telemetry, ICU, Resource Pool, Dialysis.
IMO, to "force" one's beliefs would be to actively promote one's beliefs to a patient by doing or not doing a specific medical procedure...
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That's what I mean. If you refuse to do something indicated for a patient's care. I thought that was what this thread was about.??
I understand you wouldn't put yourself into a situation where abortions are performed. Luckliy, that isn't hard since they are primarily performed in free-standing clinics. But I mean as a nurse, on a medical floor, in a hospital - being assigned a patient who needed alcohol (for lack of a better example). Refusing to administer that alcohol is forcing that patient to follow that nurse's belief.
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SharonH, RN
2,144 Posts
What I would really like to see are people with strong religious convictions realizing that their convictions are just their own and it is not their place to force their beliefs on anyone else. I'm really appalled by some of the things I'm reading.