Administering a Blood Transfusion When Directed by a Superior- Jehovah's Witness Policy

by Ron.W. 20 Replies latest watchtower medical

• 

  Ron.W.

  Administering a Blood Transfusion When Directed by a Superior - Jehovah's Witness Policy Effective June 15th, 2018

  While the Hospital Liasion Committee elders were instructed that they may inform doctors and nurses of this decision, this letter was not allowed to be distributed to anyone outside of HLC members.

  As a result of the concealment of this letter, and by virtue of the fact that this information was only to be shared verbally with Jehovah's Witness medical professionals and others, confusion erupted across the United States and in other branch offices of Jehovah's Witnesses. Countless letters were received at Watchtower Headquarters in New York from concerned JW nurses, paramedics, and others who were instructed verbally on this new policy, but which contradicted existing written policy that had been in effect for many decades.

  In addition to letters from Witness medical professionals, Circuit Overseers in the field wrote to the US Branch and Hospital Information Desk in New York about the problems caused by this unreleased policy. For example, South Carolina Circuit Overseer Brandon Roberts reported to Headquarters that "The majority of the nurses in our circuit were not aware of this updated policy." This letter is shown below, forwarded by Carl Bruce to another HID member. Carl Bruce was the Overseer at that time of the Hospital Information Desk.

  
  

  https://www.reddit.com/r/exjw/comments/tftix4/administering_a_blood_transfusion_when_directed/

  Apologies if this info has already been posted.
• 

  Ron.W.

  
  
• 

  neat blue dog

  How do JW doctors handle it when in a circumstance where a transfusion is regarded as necessary to be recommended?
• 

  waton

  How do JW doctors handle it when in a circumstance where a transfusion is regarded as necessary to be recommended? nbd

  have your reluctance to work in that field be known, and pass on the duty to someone who will do it, and collect the income associated with the billing. (just my uninformed thought)
  
  
• 

  BluesBrother

  What does “ administer” include? I am thinking of the nurse or HCA who actually connects it to the patient’s arm .

  What about the one who fits a cannula to the patient ready to take the blood transfusions? Or the porter who brings it to the ward? Or anyone along the supply chain ? They all contribute.
• 

  Slidin Fast

  The misguided "stand" on blood use is well known and of no surprise. The policy is probably more honest than the fudging of the pharisaical navel gazing over what counts as a blood component.

  The real evil smell from this is the subterfuge. The WT is increasingly trying to put clear water between themselves and the carnage they create. If you are going to make a rule affecting the lives of your adherents at least tell them to their faces.

  This is part of the overall strategy that separates the GB from all decisions with any possible legal consequence. They hang out the elders, COs by layers of corporate and legal separation. Now medical staff.

  They are faceless cynical manipulators. How did anyone fall for it?
• 

  FFGhost

  That letter is Splane and/or Morris. More likely the latter, as he served as a medic in the US army and thus likely views himself as some sort of expert on anything "medical".

  Edit: There is a LOT of detail in that Reddit link - there is someone risking a $#!+-ton by leaking all those documents.

  The Reddit author singles out Sanderson in his comments - I can also imagine him as the author / co-author of this policy.

  Edit 2: The more I think about this, the more bizarre it seems. The letter clearly indicates that any JW who "administers" (as noted in the Reddit comments, there's a lot left undefined) a blood transfusion is "an accomplice in a wrong practice" and is "violat[ing] the Scriptures". Yet, they do NOT say that doing so is a DF offense. So, it's "wrong" but not a "serious sin"? As noted in the Reddit comments, they refuse to put this in writing outside of the HLC context, so virtually no elders other than LDC members would ever even know about it, much less know if a JW nurse or doctor did so.

  I don't get it. What's the point of laying down an uncommunicated, unenforceable regulation that carries no outlined consequences for breaking it?
• 

  slimboyfat

  What a mess.

  During the pandemic the GB also told UK JWs that they could begin writing letters to the public, but didn’t put it in writing—not even in a confidential letter, only verbally.

  They seem to like changing policies through low key channels now, while leaving as little as possible in writing.

  It’s a bad idea all round from the point of view of spreading confusion and lack of trust among medical JWs and non JWs medics alike.

  It’s best explained as a result of deliberations from GB members who really do believe themselves to be conduits from God, because it makes no sense from a practical or strategic perspective.
  
• 

  adjusted knowledge

  I work with 2 nurses that are jw. When all three of us are on the same shift and floor I will administer their blood to their patients. But they will monitor and adjust the flow rate. Not sure what the difference is in their mind after I do the initial administration. They are still part of the treatment
• 

  FFGhost

  Not sure what the difference is in their mind after I do the initial administration. They are still part of the treatment

  Exactly!

  This is what you get when you have

  -- Folks who know nothing about how the medical world works, issuing decrees on medical matters

  -- Folks who have never raised children, issuing decrees on how to raise children

  -- Folks who have never had to work, let alone work hard, issuing decrees on when you should quit your job and "rely on Jehovah"

  -- Folks who have never opened a book on evolution nor made any attempt to understand it, writing books about how "wrong" evolution is

  I could go on listing 20 or 30 more examples, but you get the idea