In the first of a regular series, we look at some of the day-to-day dilemmas we face in the workplace as nurses, and ask, “What would you do in this situation?” Please write in with your responses [by email or post – see Notice Board for contact details], which we will aim to publish in the next edition, along with a new dilemma.
“A patient is admitted to your ITU ward. They require an urgent blood transfusion which you ask a doctor to prescribe. The doctor assures you that they will write the prescription when they have the time, but to go ahead and give the blood immediately. Ten minutes after commencement of giving the blood, a student nurse who is looking through the patient’s notes, discovers that the patient is of the Jehovah’s Witness faith, and so would very likely refuse a blood transfusion. You stop the blood immediately, and inform the doctors and ward manager about the incident. In a meeting over the incident, a vote is taken to keep what happened a secret from the patient and their family.
What would you do?”
Things to think about:
The patients right could have clearly been violated, but you and the department are withholding this information.
The patient recovered and was discharged.
The Jehovah’s Witness faith teaches that taking blood will incur a curse from God resulting in eternal condemnation including a cutting off of all links to the faith and family of the affected person.
Could saying something harm the patient even more than death could have?
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