This is one the most problematic conscience issues I have ever had to deal with. I was not a JW when I began as a nurse, so I was used to giving BT's. I also made my situation be known when I decided not to "hang the blood". What is interesting, and you will find when doing research re: conscience, is that at what point do you say I am taking part in the transfusion. Let me explain: Would you draw a type and cross vial, this is only done to type for BT's. Would you start a second IV for the BT. Would you set up the Tranfusion tubing and prime it with saline? How about picking up the blood from the blood bank? So you see there is many things that your "conscience" can say it is ok to do or not. How about supervising a patient receiving a BT for reactions. There are many factors than just "hanging blood". A deep examination of the scriptures and being honest with yourself will give you an answer.

Ed.

thanks eddie. in the hospital i work in scotland, the hospital porters bring the blood to the ward, and the doctors draw the blood sample for the group and save. i appreciate your flagging up the priming of the line for the second transfusion, i had not thought about that. like you say, theres a lot to consider

Eddie, I really do think you are making too much of this whole conscience thing. If you didn't do any of the above, you would either have to get out of nursing or work in a different area (nursing home, etc). Usually the lab draws the blood for Type & X-match...but, IF you are ordered to do this...you would simply be following Dr orders...you are not GIVING blood, merely taking it which would cause the Patient no harm. You are a nurse and as such not only responsible to Jehovah but to your patients. Certainly you would want to observe a patient for transfusion reactions! Any good nurse would do this because we value life. (would you refuse to observe a patient who has just had an abortion?) As Jehovah does not force people to observe his laws, neither can we. If your patient decides to receive a blood transfusion... so be it. I would not hesitate to do any of the above listed things,(with the exception of actually hanging the blood) not only for the patient but also because of Jehovah's name. We certainly don't want co-workers to have anything additional to complain about. Because we are Jehovah's Witnesses we have to work extra hard to show that we are just common people that work hard to follow the Bible commands.

I was only giving examples of what someone's conscience may do. I was just alluding to the fact that out consciences are not stagnant and can always change. The reason why I stopped hanging blood was because " I trained" my conscience to view that as not acceptable. Before I "believed" I was saving someone's life, therefore you can't wrong someone for doing something they believe is the correct thing to do. God reads hearts, men only see the apparent.

Eddie, I agree, I am a nursing student and the only thing I think I would do is monitor the pt for reactions. Because we are first Jehovah's people. We answer to him first and that is something we all need to remember.

Blood transfusions are going to be administered to people if JWs give them or not, it would be prudent to act before a situation was critical. It would be wrong for someone who had no contact from us JWs, for us to deny them any treatment which they were willing to recieve except if there was a medical basis for such denial. The thing to do would be to speak to your colleagues in the field, to become hard working and knowledgable. I couldn't hang up a blood bag for one of Jehovah's witnesses under any circumstances but for someone who wasn't studying/baptised then I might be unsure.

The issue would be much greater if a doctor was one of JWs, deciding if he or she should order blood for a patient [who isn't a JW] or give something which people [often wrongly] don't feel is as effective.

You could check things such as the blood type matched that of the patient, and for transfusion reactions. The people often don't know about Jehovah's view on the sanctity of blood, Jesus said to forgive his torturers when he was on the torture stake for they didn't know what they were doing [sort of his words]. Principally we are in the medical field because we care for patients, patients sometimes don't realise the stand we take is from the bible, not all professed christians read the bible.

I have been a nurse for almost 40 years. 25 of those I have also been Witness. I have worked in many areas where the order for blood transfusions has come up. Initially I would exchange tasks with other nurses on my unit. When I attended Pioneer school, I was fortunate to have three other RNs in my class. The problem came up in one of our discussions. I agree with an earlier posting that it is a conscience matter. Not just for you. Patients have the right to self-determination in whatever treatment they coose to accept or reject. If I had a family member who was not a Witness, I would expect them to uphold my stand of no blood. What if the situation was reversed? If they wanted blood as a treatment, would I be ready to uphold their choice?
As to whether or not I would broadcast my decision in the congregation, I have never hidden the fact that I may be the one hanging blood on a non-Witness patient. It is their God-given right to choose what they do. I take care of patients every day whose lifestyle choices I do not support. This does not stop me from taking care of them to the best of my ability. I will be the person who will fight to prevent anyone giving a Witness patient blood. If someone in the congregation asks me directly, I take the time to explain my position.
V. Niehoff RN, CCRN

Email: easummersett@hotmail.com
She is an RN, CEN, CPEN
Her background is a charge nurse in a Trama Level 1 Emergency Hospital Unit. She may be able to help answer your question.

It is interesting to note that Deuteronomy 14:21 shows that Israelites could give or sell animals that were already dead to non-Israelites as food. Such animals would not have been bled. They were allowed to do this even though the Law of Moses prohibited them from eating such unbled animals. Clearly, the non-Israelite had a right to sustenance and an Israelite could conscientiously choose whether or not to give or sell such an unbled animal. The Watchtower of 15 April 1983 pages 30-31 discussed this particular Bible passage and its application in a Christian's life.

However, any nurse finding themselves in the position of being asked to administer blood would have to conscientiously consider additional factors and not just base a decision solely on Deuteronomy 14:21.