nurses....Help!

[benj_luv06]

I would lyk to ask your opinions or ideas regarding dis issue... actually dis is our assignment in bio-ethics...

You are a staff nurse in the pediatric section of manila general hospital. your patient is RA, a 4 year old, male, admitted due to dengue hemorrhagic fever. Upon your interview, you discovered that your patient is Jehovas witness. part of their belief is that they do not allow blood transfusion. since your patient is a minor, the parents have to exercise the right tyo decide over their son. the parents do not like and would not allow blood transfusion, despite the fact that without this, their son would die. The doctor gave an order to proceed with the blood transfusion and you are the nurse on duty, who will carry out the order.

and thge questions are...

1. what are the nursing responsibilities in blood transfusion?

2. would you carry out the doctor's order? why?

3. How does the law of our state protect the righs of minor in this issue?

thank you...

[GR8_GUY]

I'm not a nurse but let me give you my two-cents for the day.
It's a difficult situation where you just have to do what you consider ethical and cover yourself from any potential ligitation.
Your nursing responsibiliy is to get a signed informed consent for transfusion, set ready the routine care before and after transfusion which is usually spelled out by the attending MD. Second, unless you have a signed informed consent you're not under obligation to follow the doctor's order because patients have the right to choose and refuse treatment. Thirdly, most states have Child Protective Services or its equivalent which often intrude on parent's right and take into care sick Witness children whose health or life is threatened by the lack of blood transfusion. Most hospitals have SOP's for this kind of situation. Notify your nursing supervisor and through a chain of commands the hospital administration who consults the hospital's legal counsel and the Child Protective Services.