Are personal faith and medical care compatiable?

[itku2er]

Stay on track people and read from the beginning.

It is about laws that are trying to be passed that enable us to withhold ANY treatment if it conflicts with our own personal religous or moralistic views..

Once again I say.....Treatment should not be withheld due to the personal belief of the healthcare provider .....The only way health care measures should be withheld are if it is the wish of the patient....This is about the patient here not us and our beliefs....and AK you are right leaves the door open for alot of scapegoats for the world of health care....

[ladyfirefighter36]

I do not believe that we have a right to impose our beliefs on others. If they ask, yes I will answer their questions. But, by withholding treatments or procedures, we are imposing our beliefs on someone else. They call us to help them, to make them feel better. If we are not willing to do everything in our power (as medical professionals, which we are) then we need to find another job. We need to be aware of their concerns as patients. What happened to a little compassion and TLC in the back of a unit. Sometimes that is all that is needed to relieve their anxiety. Yes, I believe in prayer. I have great faith, but I would never force that or expect that of someone else.

Not long ago, late at night, we were transporting an elderly person for a tachycardia. She was very anxious and having trouble relaxing. She asked my dad(fellow emt) to say a prayer for her. Now everyone in our little town knows everyone else, so she knew her request would be granted. After he finished his assessment, a prayer was said. We watched the pulse rate go from the 140's, 130's, 120's, to 98 within 2 minutes. Would we have brushed her request aside. NO. If nothing else it comforted the patient. We are asked to lots of different and sometimes unconventional or strange things in the back of a unit. As long it isn't illegal, and I am able to comply, I will do so. My beliefs have nothing to do with the treatment I give.

I don't drink. Never have, never will, but I still treat the obnoxious drunk, just as I would anyone else in my unit.

If you are uncomfortable with the care that you are being asked to provide, don't expect someone else to pick up the slack. Get out and stay out. There are others who will take your place.

[vs-eh?]

It appears most people agree on core points here...May I ask this...

Do you think the states that have this legislature would also allow employee's to refuse based on (and it seems pretty apparent) non-Christian beliefs? Say they are a Scientologist, Islamic, ummmm, <insert random non main stream religion here>? Do you think it would still be ok to refuse to dispense certain medications?

If not, why?

And if so...You can see how many issues this could raise. A near infinite number of scenarios, and it's possible blanket implications.

I honestly can't believe this legislature was enacted. I have given my exceptions where I could deem it reasonable. Especially in EMS though, this would not be reasonable.

I am agnostic. I would like to believe in a higher being, but I don't. I would never 100% refuse to accept there is a higher being, because by definition, you can't. You can't deny omnipotence, omnipresence, and omniscience. You simply can't. The idea of an all knowing, all seeing, all powerful, always there higher being? They can do whatever they want...

[Guest]

It appears most people agree on core points here...May I ask this...

Do you think the states that have this legislature would also allow employee's to refuse based on (and it seems pretty apparent) non-Christian beliefs? Say they are a Scientologist, Islamic, ummmm, <insert random non main stream religion here>? Do you think it would still be ok to refuse to dispense certain medications?

Having worked for the grand ole federal gov't for a few years now, I can believe that this is a scenario in the not too distant future. Religious beliefs seem to be more and more prevalent when they are not a common religion i.e. Catholicism, Christianity.

[Dustdevil]

Once again I say.....Treatment should not be withheld due to the personal belief of the healthcare provider ...

Yes, but we're not talking about healthcare providers. We're just talking about ambulance drivers.

[PCTtiff]

I went through and read more of the comments on the subject after I posted and realize now that medics are not giving out 'the pill'. Sorry for speaking before I knew the whole topic.

AK, I assume you're referring to me - as you replied after my post, so I'll address your statement. First off, glad to be able to amuse you! Sorry if what I said was 'preaching'. I don't like to 'preach' - no one likes someone who 'preaches', I know. I like to share with people who I am, why I am that way, and why I feel the way I do. I think it's only honest. I don't mean to offend anybody. When I give my opinion, I like to have a basis for why I believe what I do.

In NO way did I mean to imply that a non-christian wouldn't or doesn't have morals, values, ethics, standards, ETC. I'm sorry if I made you think that. I know many, MANY non-christians who are beautiful, wonderful, loving people and I love them absolutely to death... that is why, when I have something that is really important to me, I want to share it with them.

Oh, and did I mention that I go to a church?? I don't remember saying that! That kind of surprised me cause up until recently, I hadn't gone to church in years! I have a hard time believing in churches and pastors and people that go to church (I felt like they were mostly hypocrites). A friend of mine from school invited me to his church though and I've gone the last couple weeks... It's nice there and I like it. Either way, church has nothing to do with my faith or my knowing Jesus. He's not my religion, He's my life.

I apologize to anyone who got the wrong impression about anything I wrote/write. If you're offended by or disagree with something I say, let me know. One of the worst things I can do is give a wrong impression of either myself or my faith. Forgive me!

I'm wishing you all well. Stay warm (if you're someplace cold), and drive carefully. (I tell everyone who's important to me that!). God Bless.

In Jesus,

Tiffany

[ALERT Medic]

I think denying care due to certain religious beliefs is no different than denying based on race, sex, ethnic background, or socioeconomic status. I have read this whole thread and I can see how this is going to become a heated debate, and that's good. Bottom line is, if you have certain religious beliefs that might impair your judgement on weather to treat or not to treat, then maybe medicine isn't the best line of work for you to be in. I don't agree with some of my patients problems but that's not going to change my treatment.

[radaret]

Yes, I see this as a problem because as a student we have patient advocacy drilled into our heads from day one. Our instructor constantly reminds us that we are there to care for the patient. An EMT refusing to care for someone because of his/her personal beliefs violates this critical component of pre-hospital care which could lead to our profession getting even less respect from the public that it already does. Think about how would you feel about EMS if it was your family member who needed care but the EMTs who responded wouldn't care for them because of their beliefs.

[Dustdevil]

Maybe I have overlooked it, but I have yet to see anybody give a valid example of how this would be relevant to EMS.

[PRPGfirerescuetech]

Yes, I see this as a problem because as a student we have patient advocacy drilled into our heads from day one. Our instructor constantly reminds us that we are there to care for the patient. An EMT refusing to care for someone because of his/her personal beliefs violates this critical component of pre-hospital care which could lead to our profession getting even less respect from the public that it already does. Think about how would you feel about EMS if it was your family member who needed care but the EMTs who responded wouldn't care for them because of their beliefs.

All of medical care is this way your absolutely right. But medical care is the most important part of this equation, not respect of beliefs.

Respecting these beliefs is a secondary patient advocacy issue that should be heavily considered if time avails itself.