Religious Objection to Transfusion of Blood Products

Running head: RELIGIOUS OBJECTION TO TRANSFUSION OF BLOOD PRODUCTS
RELIGIOUS OBJECTION TO TRANSFUSION OF BLOOD PRODUCTS WITH
REGARD TO NURSING PRACTICE
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author’s Note:

RELIGIOUS OBJECTION TO TRANSFUSION OF BLOOD PRODUCTS1
As stated by Holland (2017), the complexity of the health issues faced by the individuals
in the present times had increased in an exponential manner in the face of the large numbers of
healthcare issues that the individuals suffer from. Schwab et al. (2018) are of the viewpoint that
the patients who are suffering from different kinds of terminal or for that matter the serious
diseases need the transfusion of diverse kinds of blood products so as to maintain the normal
functioning of their body. More importantly, as discussed by Tingle (2017), the different kinds of
blood products like prohaemostatic agents, essential interventions and others not only help the
patients to reduce blood loss or for that matter enhance the immunity of their body but also offer
the required tools to the patients with which they can combat the diseases that they face.
However, the major problem arises because of the fact that various people because of objections
specifically related to the aspect of religion even in the present times refuse to undertake the
transfusion of blood products (Carnevale, 2019). Furthermore, it had been seen that this decision
of the individuals or for that matter the patients had adversely affected their health condition
while making it very difficult for the healthcare professionals to administer the right kind of
treatment to them. This paper intends to analyze the religious objection to transfusion of blood
products and its implications for the nursing practice.
Malaiyandi, Henderson and Rubin (2018) are of the viewpoint that the cultural
background or for that matter the religious traditions which are being followed by the patients is
an important factor which the registered nurses or the healthcare professionals. For instance, it
had been seen that the individuals from different cultural or religious hold different perspective
or for that matter have diverging ideologies regarding the manner in which they like to lead their
life (Fleischer & Meirowitz, 2016). More importantly, it had been observed that these ideologies
have a profound impact on the treatment practices which they follow for availing the healthcare

RELIGIOUS OBJECTION TO TRANSFUSION OF BLOOD PRODUCTS2
treatment facilities. In this relation, it needs to be said that there are various people who are
called by name of Jehovah’s Witnesses who do not like to undertake the transfusion of blood
products despite the requirements of their health condition (Johnstone & Facn, 2019). On the
other hand, there are other groups of people who have no issues whatsoever regarding the
transfusion of blood products in their body if it is the requirement of their health condition or for
that matter the treatment which they are being offered demands the same. These as a matter of
fact have important implications for the registered nurses or for that matter the healthcare
professionals and also the manner in which the healthcare treatment services or the required care
is being offered to the concerned patients.
Malkin et al. (2016) are of the viewpoint that the Jehovah’s Witnesses are the individuals
who believe ardently in the stipulations of The Bible and also model their life activities or for
that matter the choices made by them in their life on the basis of the teachings of The Bible itself.
For instance, it had been seen that the they are the ardent believers of the line of Genesis 9, 3–4
wherein it had been said that “Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even as the
green herb have I given you all things. But flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof,
shall ye not eat” (Rajtar, 2018). Furthermore, this statement followed by the Jehovah’s Witnesses
also finds adequate support from the other lines like “And whatsoever man....face against that
soul that eateth blood, and will cut him off from among his people” (Leviticus 17, 10), “Only
thou shalt not eat the blood thereof; thou shalt pour it upon the ground as water” (Deuteronomy
15, 23) and others (Dixon & Tameris, 2018). The resultant effect of these is that the Jehovah’s
Witnesses do not encourage the transfusion of any blood products within their body regardless of
their health condition since this is in complete tradition to the dictums of the religious order or
for that matter the religious traditions in which they have been brought up.