A friend of mine, who started out as an RN, now she is a Physician Assistant, made a deal with her coworkers. (Her conscience dictated she not have anything to do with blood transfusion.) She would start all the IV for them, if they administered the blood. Of course, that meant more work for her. But, everyone knew, "Gwen don't do blood" and it was respected because she was such a hard worker. Never any problems. She just made it clear from the beginning. Hope this helps. yvette

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Yvette Bunch

I believe we should all keep in mind, as Deborah pointed out, that nurses face many ethical and moral dilemmas. Nurses who are not JWs (the vast majority of the nursing workforce) can find it extremely difficult to care for a JW patient who they believe might benefit from a blood transfusion. If we want them to respect the commitment of a JW patient to abstain from blood, shouldn't a JW nurse also give the patient whose personal or religious belief does not prevent them from accepting blood be given the same consideration? Would we refuse to care for a cancer patient who has opted for alternative vs traditional care, or who has declined potentially life-saving chemotherapy? I believe we all need to support each other's decisions so long as they are made by a competent, educated individual.

Erica,
I worked in hematology oncology for ten years as an LPN thus avoiding the issue of should I or shouldn't I. Once I got my RN that "safety net" was gone. I did a couple of things.
# 1. When ever possible, I traded the duty with another nurse who hung the blood product. When that was not possible, I hung the product based on the rationale that the physician informed the patient then ordered it & the patient consented to the treatment. It was therefore the patient's choice, not mine. Of course I also read the WTBTS information on the subject & prayed for guidance from Jehovah. # 2 Once my commitment to the hematology oncology unit was over (1 year) I left to work in an area where blood was not an issue. I too chose not to discuss it with others because they're not in our position, likely havn't researched it & their immediate response is "we can't do that!". While you likely can't avoid this issue altogether, choose your nursing area carefully to limit having to deal with the issue. Shirley

Surely the patients decision is between her and her doctor, why would your wife concern herself with a patients choice of whether to accept a transfusion or not?

Medical ethics would take the same view, i.e. do not involve yourself and indeed disciplinary action may follow such a course, (although interestingly the attempt by a medical professional to seek to change the mind/belief of one who refused blood transfusion would not be viewed in the same way!).
However for a Christian there is a scriptural obligation to help another Christian to avoid wrongdoing. If the scriptural belief perceives the taking of a blood transfusion to be wrongdoing then it would be wrong not to "get involved", in order to help your brother/sister avoid committing a serious sin.
The same situation would arise if you were aware of a fellow Christian being about to commit adultery or to steal, you would not simply ignore the situation, reasoning that they must have taken a reasoned decision about what they were about to do!
Hence the dilema in an individual putting themselves into a work situation where they may find it necessary to deal with such matters that would conflict with their bible-trained conscience.

What level of involvement is required to help your brother/sister avoid committing a serious sin?

Personally I may advise a friend against stealing or adultery but I tend to lean to the side of an adult having to be responsible for their own actions (and take the consequences). If it was actually life threatening I would take bigger steps to take matters higher and stop them in their tracks.

If a jw nurse in a situation such as this found it conflicted with their bible-trained conscience, would the same steps be taken?

It is for each individual to decide what to do to help another avoid serious sin but it is not possible to exonerate yourself from involvement once you become involved by knowledge of the fact.
To what extent does an individual see serious sin as life threatening?
If an individual believes that serious sin can lead to a breaking of one's relationship with God and also believes in the bible's promise of everlasting life for those having a good relationship with God, then I would expect that such a person would do their utmost to turn their brother or sister around from committing such a serious sin and receiving the consequences of their actions.
However such reasonings are on a spiritual level and this is not a spiritual forum but a medical one - suffice to say that a possible conflict of conscience would exist for one becoming involved in areas where blood or blood products are used and where they themselves see the need to observe the bible's command to "abstain from blood".

I just ask because a patient became very distraught when they realised a jw nurse was working on our ward, whilst they were undergoing treatment. Challeugs post about his wife just reminded me.

I think I have a clearer view of why they were so concerned now. Thankyou so much for your insightful answers.

hi erica, I see that you have gotten many helpful suggestions, personally agree with Todd's advice about telling your place of employment that you object to being part of transfusions. I know that at the hospital that I work at they ask during your orientation if there is anything that you would object to doing and then they put the form in your file. I don't work in the medical field but I still put that I would not want to participate in anything to do with a blood transfusion. Keep in mind that the more you explain to your workmates that you don't want to be a party to blood being used the more opportunities you'll have to explain your beliefs and that's what were supposed to be doing- giving a witness about our grand God Jehovah.- Ac 1:8; Isa. 43:10I have had some personal success/opportunities in this way just by refusing the flu shot. People want to know all about why. Also remember that it will not always be easy, Jesus stated: "Narrow is the gate and cramped the road leading off into life, and few are the ones finding it. . . . Not everyone saying to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter into the kingdom of the heavens, but the one doing the will of my Father who is in the heavens will."—Matt. 7:13, 14, 21.Keep up "the fine fight of the faith..."- 1Ti.6:12

Hello Everyone,
I'm new to this forum and would like to express my thanks for all the information and research that so many have done and shared. I am a Witness and have seen the blood issue become more complex over the years. While some finer points are most recently being clarified, some basic information remains the same.
While I, in no way, have even a smidgen of the professional medical knowledge I see at this site, I feel compelled to mention something along the lines of religion, concerning Alaskagirl's question above.
While administering products that contain blood fractions would probably be a conscience matter, administering blood products that contain Plasma, Red Cells, White Cells, and Platelets would not be. These four components of blood are to be avoided by Christians, whether taking into your body in some form, or helping another take into their body.
An excerpt from the 1999 WT, April 15, pg 28:
>> The second question is: Would doing this work make one an accomplice in a condemned practice? Clearly, a person employed in a gambling den, an abortion clinic, or a house of prostitution would be an accomplice in an unscriptural practice. Even if his daily work there was merely sweeping floors or answering the telephone, he would be contributing to a practice that God’s Word condemns. <<
Alaskagirl, it would probably be best, if you remain undecided or have any doubts, to discuss this question with one of the elders at the hall where you attend. This way you are acting in harmony with Jehovah God's arrangement of things and can proceed with a clear conscience.
My best to you in your nursing endeavors!
Regards, Lynda