Religion

[EMSLaw]

Oh, boy, I'm staying out of this one...

I will say, though, that the same sort of moral quandries effect other health care providers. Pharmacists who have moral objections to stocking the morning after pill because it's an abortafaecent, doctors who won't perform abortions, etc.

I also think there's a distinction between emergency care - you get a 911 call, you treat whoever is in front of you, regardless of what you may think of them or their situation - and something like a completely routine IFT, where it can be arranged ahead of time for another crew to handle the call. If one has moral objections to transporting people to, say, abortion clinics, then that should be brought up with one's employer ahead of time to avoid these situations.

Now I'm going to hide far away from this thread.

 

[Silver_Star]

The article doesn't say why she needed an ambulance instead of a cab but it does mention that she was at a hospital and needed to go to another one. Perhaps she had some sort of medical condition that required constant medical attention.

usually when a hospital decides to send you to another medical facility, it will be by ambulance.

 

[JonTullos]

I'm a Christian but it doesn't affect my role in patient care. I do pray that God will use me in the healing process in someway and I often pray for patients after a call once I'm alone for a minute or two. That's as far as my faith and work get mixed.

 

[medichopeful]

I will say, though, that the same sort of moral quandries effect other health care providers.

And that is a major problem. Once again, it's somebody in a position of power making a decision that will affect a patient, which is completely unacceptable. Where is the patient advocacy in refusing to do something that could go against your beliefs?

 

[medichopeful]

I'm a Christian but it doesn't affect my role in patient care. I do pray that God will use me in the healing process in someway and I often pray for patients after a call once I'm alone for a minute or two. That's as far as my faith and work get mixed.

See, as far as I'm concerned, that is absolutely, 100% fine. You are in NO way affecting patient care because of your beliefs. Praying for somebody after a call is a great way to mix religion and health care. I see nothing wrong with it, unless the person specifically asked you not to pray for them at any time.

It's not being religious that causes problems. It's letting those beliefs change your actions with a patient that does.

 

[EMTim]

I don't understand why someone would even attempt to work as a patient care provider if they have beliefs that will prevent them from providing care as set forth by protocol..

Respecting a patients wishes (no matter what they stem from or how ridiculous they may be) is part of the job. Of course, the line becomes obscured with patients that aren't oriented and/or when family steps in. In those cases, protocol and the law of the land are the determining factors....which takes me back to my original statement.

Some pretty tricky situations can arise when you think about it...

 

[dewd09]

I don't understand why someone would even attempt to work as a patient care provider if they have beliefs that will prevent them from providing care as set forth by protocol..

Because if someone tries to prevent them from doing so, they get sued.