Are nurses forced to assist abortions?

Nurses Activism

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Hello,

I'm looking into a career as an RN and I am just curious - Are nurses forced to assist abortions? I've heard recently of several nurses being forced to assist or they lose their job. Is this the case with most hospitals?

I've asked on other sites and apparently it's a dumb question, sorry.

Thanks for your help.

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Specializes in LTC, Memory loss, PDN.

Please do share what info you've gathered. I'm just curious too.

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Specializes in LTC, Memory loss, PDN.

Thank you for posting the link. I had never heard of it. Of course all the civilian hospitals I've ever worked at had a St. in front of the name. Work for one of those and you won't have to worry about it.

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Specializes in Emergency; med-surg; mat-child.

I don't know anyone who's been put in that position, but if your feelings are that strong, it should be an easy choice to make.

TBS, if a nurse refuses to give care to a patient because that pt had an abortion, that nurse should leave the profession. You can refuse to participate in the procedure, you can't refuse to give care afterward. That's appalling.

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Specializes in Emergency/Trauma.

not a dumb question at all. however in this case, it appears they knowingly worked in a same day surgery center that performed abortions. if there are any procedures you are not comfortable assisting in, you don't have to take a job in that area.

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Thank you for posting the link. I had never heard of it. Of course all the civilian hospitals I've ever worked at had a St. in front of the name. Work for one of those and you won't have to worry about it.

I wish it was as simple as this. Part of the new healthcare plan includes mandates that all hospitals (even those that are Catholic) perform so many abortions each year to qualify for federal funding. If all that actually comes into effect, those hospitals will either comply or be at serious risk of going out of business. This also will mean that hospitals will need nurses to perform those procedures. If this is something that matters to you, it's a great time to speak up and have a voice in the matter.

As of now though, Catholic hospitals do not typically perform abortions.

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There is lengthy thread here about that case. There is federal law that specifies that people cannot be forced to participate in procedures to which they have ethical/moral/religious objections, and they cannot be punished for refusing to do so.

https://allnurses.com/nursing-news/nurses-say-hospital-635869.html

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Specializes in Emergency/Trauma.
I wish it was as simple as this. Part of the new healthcare plan includes mandates that all hospitals (even those that are Catholic) perform so many abortions each year to qualify for federal funding. If all that actually comes into effect, those hospitals will either comply or be at serious risk of going out of business. This also will mean that hospitals will need nurses to perform those procedures. If this is something that matters to you, it's a great time to speak up and have a voice in the matter.

As of now though, Catholic hospitals do not typically perform abortions.

can you please link a source to this? i have never heard or read that before.

the provisions i found on the us.gov site don't say that at all. in fact, they say that it will not preempt any current abortion laws and provides protection to HCPs who choose not to perform them.

http://dpc.senate.gov/healthreformbill/healthbill18.pdf

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Specializes in Emergency; med-surg; mat-child.
Part of the new healthcare plan includes mandates that all hospitals (even those that are Catholic) perform so many abortions each year to qualify for federal funding.

Did you read this before you posted it? It's so silly that it's almost not worth arguing.

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Specializes in CRNA, Finally retired.

In almost 30 years in OR I have never seen a nurse forced to participate in an abortion. However Ive had to care for patients who were forced to suffer for someone else's benefit. If you need to feel upright at all costs, don't pick nursing. It's a big, messy world and you'll see there's no way to avoid the repugnant at work.

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can you please link a source to this? i have never heard or read that before.

the provisions i found on the us.gov site don't say that at all. in fact, they say that it will not preempt any current abortion laws and provides protection to HCPs who choose not to perform them.

http://dpc.senate.gov/healthreformbill/healthbill18.pdf

I would like to see an actual (legitimate) source for this, also. It's one of the more far-fetched things I've heard in a while.

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