Aesthetic Nurse Role Analysis

Analysis and Reflection on Role as Anaesthetic Nurse

The Jehovah witness is millenmialist Christian denomination in the world that came into being out of the international Bible Studies Association. This religious denomination has several beliefs some of which are contrary to the ordinary way of living especially in the medical sector. Members of Jehovah witness have a strong belief, which prohibits the faithful from accepting any blood consumption. According to this faith, no member of this church is allowed to accept the transfusion of blood or any of its components even if it might mean the death of the patient. This blood prohibition includes; allogeneic whole blood, plasma, white blood cells, platelets, red blood cell concentrates and

The refusal to accept blood transfusion by a Jehovah witness might go against the desire of nurses to save life, as well as their personal beliefs. However, the law requires health professionals to respect the applicable. The right should be respected even if it might lead to the death of the patient. The law requires nurses to uphold similar ethical and legal responsibility towards Jehovah witness patient as to other patients (Nagelhout, 2010). Therefore it is illegal and unethical to transfuse blood to a patient who has refused it. Furthermore, in the scenario the situation is complicated because the parents of the patient give the authority to consent by proxy because their interests fall in safeguarding the children’s happiness and maintaining the norms of their faith (DuBose,

Most hospitals have a Hospital liaison committee who deal with these situations. In addition, because of the religion variability, it is wise for the patient’s parents to consult the religious elders or ministers in an effort to reach at proper decision making in regarding the treatment related to the blood products. It should be noted that it is not obvious for the patient or his parents who made the decisions on his behalf to be aware of their interest due to trauma. The anesthetic nurse is thus expected to have ability to make decisions that are in the best interest to the patients in a long term manner. The reason why the parents objected blood transfusion was not because they wanted to harm their son, but because they had to make a decision in regard to which is better. The parents chose the religious reason that was more intense for them in the place of the physical well-being of their son. However in cases where the patient is not in positon to express his desire, as in this scenario the patient is unconscious, the relatives must provide evidence in form of an advance directive, which shows the refusal of the patient to accept blood transfusion. However if this evidence is not provided, the medical practioners should administer blood transfusion if life threatening cases.