Religion vs. Medical Care

• Allowing someone to die: Some religious affiliations (Jehovah’s witness) will not receive a blood transfusion. They have decided not to take advantage of medical technology to preserve life. If such person is in a life & death situation and required a blood transfusion in order to survive the choose to die vs. receiving a blood transfusion.

Running Head: CULTURALLY COMPETENT CARE OF THE JEHOVAH?S WITNESSES 1 2 CULTURALLY COMPETENT CARE OF THE JEHOVAH?S WITNESSES Culturally Competent Care of the Jehovah?s Witness: A Focus on Bloodless Medicine Sonya Philbeck Southern New Hampshire University Culturally Competent Care of the Jehovah?s Witness: A Focus on Bloodless Medicine Nurses have the responsibility of caring for a diverse group of people. These people come from different cultures, races, and religious backgrounds. Religion plays a major role in patient care and has for many years. Cultural competency is a major component of nursing practices. Understanding culture is imperative in knowing what is important to a patient and how to address his or her healthcare needs. Understanding culture is also important when determining what suggestions to make about interventions for treatment. Culture is defined as many people interacting and sharing with one another their patterns of behavior, beliefs and values (Burkhardt, G. & Nathaniel, A., 2014).

For this paper I interviewed a fairly new nurse who faced an ethical dilemma involving medical treatment of a Jehovah Witness. The dilemma she faced was that her patient was dying and needed a blood transfusion in order to survive. The patient was a 29-year-old female who was pregnant with

Notably, Jehovah Witness patients’ religious teachings prohibit their believers from Blood transfusion, euthanasia, autopsy and Artificial insemination. These medical practices are against the Biblical teachings of the Jehovah Witness since they consider them to be unholy. Further, they believe the medical interventions to interfere with God’s intentions for human life hence they disallow their followers from practicing

Running head: HEALTHCARE PROVIDER AND FAITH DIVERSITY Healthcare Provider and Faith Diversity Judy Mills GCU HLT 310V September 14, 2012 Abstract This paper compares the philosophies of three diverse faiths, that of: Buddhism, Islam, and Christian Science, comparing them to Christianity. We will look at basic beliefs, spiritual perspectives on healing, beliefs about healthcare, and components of healing such as prayer, meditation, and rituals followed. We will also look at what is important to know when caring for a person with different beliefs and cultural views, so that we may treat them with respect, dignity and promote the healing process.

Three examples of diversity in a health and social care setting. Diversity demonstrated in a hospital: If a Jehovah witness comes into the hospital in need of a blood transfusion the doctors and nurses must respect the patient’s wishes not to have a blood transfusion.

According to the first principle, nonmaleficience, it would not be appropriate as a professional to practice medicine based on his or her own beliefs and not consider the patients feelings about the operation. In this particular case, regarding religious constrictions the doctor must decide if the patients’ needs outweigh the ethical belief of nonmaleficience. Asserting empathy in this case could prove to be a problem. How does a person wholly understand the beliefs of another when they have not been exposed to those beliefs and culture that supplied this person with their values of living? Understanding a patient’s background can significantly impact a decision. If a doctor were to treat a Jehovah Witness with blood they need to understand the impact they would be having on their patient’s life.

Jehovah’s Witness and Blood Transfusion Ruta Urbstaite Framingham State University Abstract The purpose of this paper is to identify the characteristics, values and beliefs of Jehovah’s Witness group. It will discuss their reasoning for refusal to accept blood transfusions. The paper will elaborate on the best approach to offer appropriate care, advice and education

According to Culture Vision (n.d.) Jewish dogma teaches that “It is everyone 's duty to maintain and preserve his or her own good health (both physical and mental)”. This does not mean that even Orthodox Jews avoid medical assistance. It merely means that their approach may be limited by Jewish beliefs. For example, Elyssa states, “more religious Jews may want to consult a rabbi with certain medical decisions, especially if more ethically questionable. Also, even Jewish people who strictly observe the Sabbath are able to break it for life saving measures. However, the needed medical treatment is not lifesaving they may well refuse to participate in it on the Jewish Sabbath. For example, a patient in the hospital might prefer to delay a test or even a procedure if it is not literally emergent and likely necessary to preserve life and health permanently” (E. Jankelovitz, person communication, January 20, 2017).

Across the world at similar levels of educational and income skills, there is a broad variation in health care results. Some of this variation is due to the changes in health system performance. Decision-makers or administrators at all levels in healthcare needs to measure the variation in health system performance, identify issues that influence and articulate policies that will accomplish better results in various settings in healthcare. Once these issues are identified, it can frame innovation for health care. Innovations has brought the art of medicine to a new level of constantly improving healthcare. The biblical worldview does frame innovation for the Christian health administrator. Porter-O'Grady & Malloch (2015) discusses the driving

Jehovah’s Witness Blood transfusion is a practice that breaks rules of their religion. As an adult they are allowed to refuse transfusions, even though it is said that approximately 1,000 Jehovah’s Witnesses die every year from their denial of blood transfusions (Wilson, 2005). When it comes to children in the United Kingdom, however, the doctor is allowed to do a blood transfusion, if needed, against the parent’s wishes. The protection that is behind this is the Children Act of 1989. This act states that although the parent’s rights are considered, it is ultimately the well being of the child that is the priority (Wilson, 2005). Acts like this are reassuring to see, and are a big improvement that will continue to help save the lives of

may refuse surgery, because their teaching is that blood transfusions, even if needed to save a person's life, must not be accepted. Their teaching no blood transfusion is base on four bible passage:

Who are Jehovah’s Witness? Founded by Charles Taze Russell in the 1870’s, he named the group “Millennial Dawn Bible Study”, years after he died; they rename their organization “Jehovah’s Witness”. In 1945 the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society find out that blood transfusion is against the divine law. This prohibition is inspired from the bible passage “Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things. But flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, shall ye not eat” (Genesis 9, 3–4).However, Jehovah’s Witness accept medical and surgical treatments, but they absolutely refuse any type of blood transfusion including whole blood, plasma, platelets, red and white blood cells. Indeed, when they receive blood, this is constituted a grave sin

Jehovah's witnesses’ faith allows them to seek medical help; however, they do not accept blood transfusions. This belief arises from a biblical passage that states "Only flesh with its soul- its blood-you must not eat (Genesis 9:3-4), "You must not eat the blood of any sort of flesh, because the soul of every sort of flesh is its blood. I will set my face against that person who eats blood...Anyone eating it will be cut off” (Leviticus 17:10, 13-14). These passages are interpreted by Jehovah's witnesses as forbidding the transfusion of any blood products. The following presentation will address legal and ethical issues that can arise from this scenario.

major abnormalities. A woman must also have the permission or consent Another issue that you need to determine is ‘When does life really begin?’ Pro-choice people would say late in pregnancy, some would even say as late as birth. Genesis 2:7 would agree with this in that it was after God breathed life in Adam that he became living. ‘. . . and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.’ Genesis 2:7. While the pro-life people would say life begins at conception, right at the beginning. Another verse from the Old Testament could be used in agreement to this. ‘Thus saith the Lord that made thee, and formed thee from the womb . . .’