Why I Am Working At A Medical Facility

In taking care of a patient, it is important for nurses to respect the patient, their beliefs, and their right to autonomy. Provision One in the Code of Ethics states “the nurse practices with compassion and respect for inherent dignity, worth, and unique attributes of every person” (ANA, 2015, p. 7). With a Jehovah’s Witness patient, the nurse must first acquire information regarding their religion and how it may impact their care and their wishes related to their healthcare. Once their patient’s beliefs are noted and understood, the nurse must establish a professional and therapeutic relationship with their patient without bias to their religion and the associated beliefs. The duty to act without bias can be found outlined in Provision 1.2 (ANA, 2015).

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

For many people Christianity is the religion of choice and a way of life. Jehovah?s Witnesses are one subgroup of the Christian faith. The JW religion was founded in 1872 by Charles Taze Russell. They comprise 1.2 million of the U.S. population (Campbell, Y., Machan M., & Fisher, M., 2016). They present a unique challenge to the medical community because of their stance on blood transfusions. Part I will provide a

1. What do Jehovah Witness believe about blood transfusions? Why? Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that the Bible prohibits ingesting blood and that Christians should not accept blood transfusions or donate to store their own blood for transfusions. Therefore, blood transfusions are not allowed, and some patients are willing to die rather than accept blood.

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

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

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.

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.

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 while treating patients with respect in regards to their religious beliefs. British Journal of Nursing (2009) suggests that good, honest communication, without any element of coercion or scare tactics, is the key in the management of Jehovah’s Witness patients.

Jehovah’s witnesses are able to received medical care, but they are not able to receive any blood transfusion because of their beliefs. The patients’ that are Jehovah witnesses are not allowed to accept any blood transfusion, not even if it’s their own blood that has being preserved. They are not allowed to consume anything that has blood by product, whether it’s medication or in food (Ehman, 2012). Some adults of this faith are known to carry a card that states treatment without blood. When it comes to organ donations and transplantation that is strictly up to the individual whether they choose to or not.

One major medical belief that is strictly followed by individuals who practice the Jehovah Witness culture is the refusal of blood transfusions. The reason for this medical belief is that it is stated in both the new and old testament that he/she shall abstain from blood (“Why Don’t,” 2016). Jehovah’s witnesses not only will refuse a blood transfusion but they will in no way donate, ingest or store own blood no matter what the

In a hospital setting, medical billers perform different functions than medical billers that work in a physician's office. Some of the medical coding is different, also different procedure coding. I want to work in the hospital setting because I believe I can be more help and it can be more challenging for

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.

A blood transfusion goes against what the Jehovah’s Witnesses believe since the Bible forbids “mixing your own blood with the blood of an animal or another human being.”. However, should a child really die because his parents and church elders have indoctrinated him with that mindset? Although Adam would like to refuse this life saving transfusion, and therefore die, because he believes that he should not have a transfusion as it would be a sin, it is of my opinion that he only has these beliefs because he was brought up in an environment where he was taught not to question his elders, and because he does not know any better. This could tell us that although you may have been taught something from a young age, and you know no better, what you may have been taught is not always right just because your elders and the people you respect have said so. It also shows us that we may only have gotten to this point in our life because of what we have learnt from our parents or other people.

When I was doing my leadership rotation in the emergency room, I came across a situation where a patient’s religion conflicted with proper medical care. The patient was a 53-year-old male who looked extremely pale and lethargic. Although he was lethargic, the patient was alert and oriented to self, time and place. Thus, qualifying him as a mentally competent individual to make his own health care decisions.  After having labs drawn, his hemoglobin came back at 6.0. When the doctors received the lab result, they told the patient, he needed to be transfused with 2 units of packed red blood cells. The patient refused and stated that the blood transfusion would go against his religious beliefs. He is a Jehovah’s Witness.  As a mentally competent