Abortion Assistance RN

andre · Sep 10, 2006

I sent you a PM. Not willing to post info publicly here.

nightingale, RN · Sep 10, 2006

lucyluv said:
this is not a political thread. i am looking to hear from rns working in clinics assisting with abortion procedures. due to a personal calling, i think i am cut out for the job (with training!!!), but really need an insiders view. is it scary, i.e. do you feel safe going to work? what do you tell people you do when they ask, and you are not comfortable with revealing your line of work due to the stima around it? do you think as a new grad with experience in l&d and postpartum i will be able to learn quickly and function well in the job? sorry! so many questions!:nurse:but i would love your honest and nonjudgemental responses.
thank you!
lucyluv

warning:

this is the ob-gyn forum; not a political forum. please stick to the topic of what was asked.

lucyluv · Sep 10, 2006

Thank you for these words! I made it VERY clear that this is NOT a political thread. (Who could not be aware of the politics involved in this issue? I was not here posting to offend.) The fact is is that abortion IS LEGAL and is performed, and by professional and caring teams. THAT is the heart of nursing, no matter what you do. THANK YOU to all those who DID answer my questions in reguards to this OB/GYN matter. I do plan to broaden my pool by also posting my question in general nursing, though I feel my responses here have been QUITE informative and specific in addressing my questions. I do not need many replies, only applicable and honest ones. THANK YOU!!

This reminds me what a vibrant and varied and CARING community we are as nurses. :nurse: Remember to LOVE one another!

FNimuaeMae · Sep 11, 2006

When I was interviewing for a job in CT, one of the floors I interviewed on at a hospital was a GYN/ONC floor. They told me in the interview that they occasionally do 2nd trimester abortions in their procedure room on the floor. I had to think about it....but I wanted to do more of an ICU setting so thats where I am now. The people seemed very nice, caring and professional. I think it would have been ok.

Missy

LoriAlabamaRN · Sep 11, 2006

I accompanied a friend to a clinic. I am pro-choice, but my friend was adamantly prolife- until she was raped and became pregnant from it. Anyway, there were fanatics screaming and stuff outside of the clinic, and we went through metal detectors (by this point she was crying hysterically over what the protestors were screaming at us) but once we were through security I was surprised at how pleasant the atmosphere was and how nice the staff were. They really cared about my friend and I wouldn't mind helping scared girls like they did.

Meerkat · Sep 11, 2006

I am a nurse who has assisted in many, many abortions. As for the job I have communicated privately with the OP, but for those of you wondering about the safety, yes, there are day to day hazards. Our clinic was bombed but thankfully no one was hurt because it happened at night. Many of the hazards in this type of nursing come from the patients themselves, and family members of the patients. Clinically I would say it is a mix of GYN and Psych.

Altalorraine · Sep 11, 2006

judyblueeyes said:
You aren't speaking for me.

Me neither.

I think L&D experience would be very helpful. We do a fair number of abortions where I work, some therapeutic, some genetic (not one of the wonderful, miracle-of-birth loving OB nurses on our floor refuses to take these cases).

A lot of the things we do every day on our unit (supporting patients and families emotionally, managing bleeding and pain, administering medications) would be applicable to working in a clinic.

As for safety, well you know they say if you don't do what you believe you have a right to do, the terrorists have won. We are careful in that we don't give out the names of the doctor(s) who do the procedures to people who just happen to call on the phone.

Altalorraine

fiestynurse · Sep 11, 2006

hkmrn said:
To the person who asked the abortion assistance RN question-
I know there are many people who are pro-choice in this board but there are also many of us who are pro-life. In fact, I would say most of the OB nurses I work with are pro-life. Maybe you are not getting a lot of replies to your question because most of us could not imagine assisting with abortion. It is murder to us. I witness the miracle of birth almost every shift I work. I could not imagine being a part of destroying life..
Sorry, just my two cents...
Maybe you would get more answers to your question on another board.

You are not speaking for me either. I was an Obstetrical nurse for 20 years and I was involved in terminations. I once assisted an 11 year old incest victim through a very difficult termination of her pregnancy. I still have the letter that her mother wrote me. These patients need our non-judgemental support. I didn't really have any security issues, only a few minor incidences with an occasional protester. I never worried about it.

hkmrn · Sep 12, 2006

To Everyone on this board-

I apologize if I offended anyone with my previous message. Everyone is entitled to their opinion regarding abortion. All I was stating was that I could never work as a labor nurse helping to bring life into the world and then turn around and assist with abortions. As far as rape and incest go, I think that is the exception rather than the rule.. I have access to pre-natals.. I view many of women who have had not one but many elective abortions.. It just burns me that some women use abortion as a means of contraception.

SmilingBluEyes · Sep 12, 2006

Your opinion is noted and respected, however it has NOTHING whatsoever to do with the OP's question. Please refrain from further moral/political commentary on this thread....doing so constitutes hijacking. Thank you for understanding.

slinkeecat · Sep 12, 2006

I worked in a clinic for a short time. I too thought I would be able to deal w/ it in a professional manner... however, I had some conflict w/ in myself. I became too emotionally invested in the pts I took care of. I wanted to smack the ones who used it as birth control... and hug the ones who were in anguish over a "mistake" or were victimized. I did it for 1 yr and the procedures did not bother me, it was the girls... and the protesters who became overly agressive in trying to win my soul to "jesus"... I had to quit

I was taking it home w/ me.....

slinkeecat · Sep 12, 2006

oh... I forgot to mention this.... I was paid well. The owner of the clinic was very kind and very respectful for our safety. I have and will never be ashamed of what I did. When others asked... I said I worked as a nurse in a woman's health care clinic....The clinic was called "Woman's Health Clinic"

I did have a lovely police escort to and from the building when we received death threats in the mail.... but we were very careful and we did not have any on site violence... I do not regret my time there. I made me think about the type of relationship I wanted to have w/ my girls. It really probably made me a better parent, because I don't ever want my child to drive 300 miles and have a surgical procedure by herself because she was too affraid to talk to me. My husband is a wonderful man and he asked me to quit because I brought it home.... I would be irritable w/ him when I would have a day w/ clients who were having an abortion because of a "no- count" man... yes, I would take it out on him and he would have to pay for the misdeed of another, or i would come home and be super klingy with my to daughters and give them the 3rd degree ..... so i had to get out of it...