Ethical considerations in medical treatment of Jehovah's Witnesses

Nursing Ethics

Ethical behavior, especially in the medical community, is important in all aspects, but especially in the treatment of patients. All patients, no matter what their religious affiliations or beliefs, deserve the best possible treatment within their own particular guidelines. Treating members of the Jehovah's Witness religion is a task that while not commonplace, will certainly be touched upon by most members of the nursing community.

Looking for guidelines regarding the ethical treatment of different sects will oftentimes result in an administrator providing ethical standards that nurses for a particular institution will be required to follow. As one early study determined "the health care administrator has responsibilities to self, to the organization, to the clientele served by the organization, and to the employees who provide services at the organization" (Badzek, Mitchell, Marra, Bower, 1998).

More recently the American Nurses Association has brought forth a Code of Ethics for nurses. The Code specifically addresses ethical issues regarding end-of-life and the different viewpoints of various religions regarding treatment (especially concerning end-of-life). According the organization's website "The Code of Ethics for Nurses was developed as a guide for carrying out nursing responsibilities in a manner consistent with quality in nursing care and the ethical obligations of the profession" (ANA, 2012).

A code, however, is only as good as long as it is adhered to by those whom it seeks to guide. If individual nurses pick and choose only certain parts of the code to practice, or worse, totally ignore the entire code, then trouble could rear its ugly head.

Using the Jehovah's Witness group as an example, nurses who are required to give blood transfusions (ie; through a doctor's order) to a patient of the Jehovah Witness faith, may have a fight on their hands. According to the New York Organ Donor Network, "Jehovah Witnesses are often presumed to be opposed to donation because of their belief against blood transfusion…it would not be acceptable for an organ donor to receive blood as part of the organ recovery process" (New York, 2012).

Another study determined that "ethical problems occur because of conflicts in a society's moral principles, values and laws" (Runde, 2007, p. 2). A nurse must therefore know and understand exactly what he or she is dealing with when it comes to treating people of any faith, including Jehovah's Witnesses. Consideration should be taken regarding those beliefs even at the risk of the patient's life. Ultimately, it is up to the patient to make the choice as to what specific care or treatment should or should not take place. If a patient believes in a particular manner, that patient has the right to refuse treatments that go against those beliefs.