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.

Specializes in Critical care, tele, Medical-Surgical.

NO!

Nurses are NOT forced to assist abortions.

Federal law prohibits forcing nurses or others to participate in abortion or sterilization.

U.S. code states:

... prohibition of public officials and public authorities from imposition of certain requirements contrary to religious beliefs or moral convictions

No law authorizes a court or individual] to require

(1) such individual to perform or assist in the performance of any sterilization procedure or abortion if his performance or assistance in the performance of such procedure or abortion would be contrary to his religious beliefs or moral convictions...

http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/42...0---a007-.html

Hospitals have repeatedly lost lawsuits regarding this. - http://www.firstthings.com/blogs/fir...t-in-abortion/

No requirement that hospitals perform abortions.

--http://www.healthcare.gov/law/full/

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I see how someone can have joy in providing care to their patients. But the child en utero is too your patient. It is only recently that people have tried to take the human identity from a non-fully developed person away.

"Non-fully developed person"??? That's right up there with "pre-born child" (until now, my favorite anti-choice cliche'). Whether or not a fetus is a "child" is a matter of personal opinion; there are many varying opinions on this. What you are saying is your personal opinion, not a given, not "science." Abortion most certainly is healthcare (in my opinion, and that of many others, that is). And, sorry to disappoint you, but I'm not planning on getting out of healthcare, despite your thinking that my not sharing your personal views means I "shouldn't be treating patients."

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Specializes in Pedi.
I see how someone can have joy in providing care to their patients. But the child en utero is too your patient. It is only recently that people have tried to take the human identity from a non-fully developed person away. We should be in the business of preserving life and not taking it away. Abortion is not healthcare. Society is trying to "modify" what is healthcare. There was an instance where there were twins but one was black and the other was white. It was very rare of course, but what if the mother didn't want one of them? What if the mother had a preference to a particular color and requested the abortion of only one, simply for preference? You see how illogical this is. Nurses are suppose to make calls based on sound judgment. Trying to take away the definition of what life is so you can't call it killing is absurd. You do not even need religion to tell you that is wrong. It's science. Honestly, those who are in favor or support of the causation of death for any circumstances in health care are the ones who shouldn't be treating patients. It's just nuts. All members of the human family should be welcomed in life and protected by law. If we are suppose to have human rights, then pretty much, any human falls into that.The same was with slavery. Even though Africans and African Americans are human, they were put into a category less than, just as people are doing to children now. And back then it was also according to the law, so they are almost the same illogical wrong doings; don't forget about the Holocaust because that was legal also. Eventually, it will get so bad that almost full term abortions will become sanctioned and all because HCPs out there will not advocate for the second party. The mother has a body, and the baby has his or her own body, only attached via a cord. Nothing more. Why can't people see this?

This thread is not about one's personal views on abortion but, rather, if nurses can be forced to assist with the procedure.

But, since you brought it up, are you interested in things like this happening here?

Women die after Nicaragua's ban on abortions - Health | NBC News

Dominican Republic abortion ban stops treatment for pregnant teen with cancer - CNN.com

Because I'm not.

Not one single poster on this thread has denied that a zygote, embryo or fetus is human. Of course it is human, produced by humans of human DNA. What would it be if not human? Feline? Canine?

Not one single poster has claimed that a fetus is part of the woman's body either. A fetus has its own body which, for the duration of her pregnancy, is fully dependent on the woman. It is the woman's choice whether or not she wants to use HER body to support a pregnancy.

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.
I see how someone can have joy in providing care to their patients. But the child en utero is too your patient. It is only recently that people have tried to take the human identity from a non-fully developed person away. We should be in the business of preserving life and not taking it away. Abortion is not healthcare. Society is trying to "modify" what is healthcare. There was an instance where there were twins but one was black and the other was white. It was very rare of course, but what if the mother didn't want one of them? What if the mother had a preference to a particular color and requested the abortion of only one, simply for preference? You see how illogical this is. Nurses are suppose to make calls based on sound judgment. Trying to take away the definition of what life is so you can't call it killing is absurd. You do not even need religion to tell you that is wrong. It's science. Honestly, those who are in favor or support of the causation of death for any circumstances in health care are the ones who shouldn't be treating patients. It's just nuts. All members of the human family should be welcomed in life and protected by law. If we are suppose to have human rights, then pretty much, any human falls into that.The same was with slavery. Even though Africans and African Americans are human, they were put into a category less than, just as people are doing to children now. And back then it was also according to the law, so they are almost the same illogical wrong doings; don't forget about the Holocaust because that was legal also. Eventually, it will get so bad that almost full term abortions will become sanctioned and all because HCPs out there will not advocate for the second party. The mother has a body, and the baby has his or her own body, only attached via a cord. Nothing more. Why can't people see this?
As nurses we need to be supportive of our patients and not place our personal beliefs and biases upon them.

There is a huge difference between what is best for the patient and what WE feel is best by our personal opinions/feelings. The two should not intertwine.

In ANSWER TO THE POST...NO nurses are not forced to perform abortions.

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I always thought employees had the freedom to choose. Don't like what the employer does, or does not do, find a job elsewhere. I'll bet that policies as important as this are no big secret when the applicant takes the responsibility to inquire before they apply for the job. Policy changed after hiring, give notice and go work somewhere else. Problem solved for the employee.

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Regardless we were not hired to kill. Pure and simple. It is completely different if it is a disease. The child is not a disease. Rules don't make it right. I have a mind and it is wrong regardless of how anyone on here tries to justify killing children. People are becoming more blind about this reality the more health care personnel support it. Like I said, abortion is NOT HEALTH CARE. Just because I may not work in that area, doesn't make it okay if others do it, or is it okay for a mother to kill her child at any age?

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China and India kill just because they want to limit females withing population. There is no way you can say that we shouldn't be involved in the ethics of caring for the patient. One, it is patients, as in there are 2 ppl involved. Secondly, how we care for our patients involves certain ethical standards to protect the patients. PatientS.

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Oh and since you want to say the child has its own body, which I already pointed out, then why can't women kill their children after they are born? They are still using their bodies to supply the newborn with food whether it be bought or breastfeeding. It's her body right? So if her body decided to abandon the child I. A public trash can, well I guess she chose to do with her body such a hideous action. People express opinion on here all the time and this topic is relevant for expressing it. Everyone here is doing it so what? The first pro lifer comes and makes her stance and now you jump in and say I shouldn't? Wow. It's in the constitution. Freedom of expression.

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this didn't start out as a thread about abortion, only if nurses would be forced to participate, therefore it is not a place for your thought, start your own thread. So, that said, Neo, the girl with leukemia should die, taking her fetus with her, correct? this is your thoughts, correct? the young woman who died of an ectopic, that was her deserved end, correct? because that is where your thought process takes us.

Oh and since you want to say the child has its own body, which I already pointed out, then why can't women kill their children after they are born? They are still using their bodies to supply the newborn with food whether it be bought or breastfeeding. It's her body right? So if her body decided to abandon the child I. A public trash can, well I guess she chose to do with her body such a hideous action. People express opinion on here all the time and this topic is relevant for expressing it. Everyone here is doing it so what? The first pro lifer comes and makes her stance and now you jump in and say I shouldn't? Wow. It's in the constitution. Freedom of expression.
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Specializes in Pediatric Hematology/Oncology.

Wow.............:bored:

Ummm....I don't know about this. I mean, there are some serious reasons as to why a woman would require an abortion and as a nurse (especially if that falls within the scope of your chosen specialty) then you should have no problems with providing her with the best, safest care possible. Why does it always come down to the notion that ALL women who have ever had abortions ever are just "selfish" people casting aside a baby because they were so irresponsible as to put this "inconvenience" upon themselves? Because women who use abortion as their primary means of birth control are the only (ONLY!) women who get abortions ever (EVARRRR!). :wacky: It's a much more complex issue than that and, either way, medicine is medicine and you can't abandon your patient. If a woman was having an abortion due to a tubal pregnancy you seriously would have a problem with assisting and providing care? Seriously?? Then you have no idea the reality of any of this.

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Specializes in RN, BSN, CHDN.

This is a very touchy subject, where many people have strong views-please try and be objective when posting on this thread or we will have no alternative but to close it for cooling down

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.
Regardless we were not hired to kill. Pure and simple. It is completely different if it is a disease. The child is not a disease. Rules don't make it right. I have a mind and it is wrong regardless of how anyone on here tries to justify killing children. People are becoming more blind about this reality the more health care personnel support it. Like I said, abortion is NOT HEALTH CARE. Just because I may not work in that area, doesn't make it okay if others do it, or is it okay for a mother to kill her child at any age?
It is clear you ahve very strong feeling about this topic...you absolutely have every right to feel as you do. But as nurses we are not involving our personal/thoughts/beliefs/opinions interfere with our professional demeanor.

This is a controversial subject. There are strong opinions on both sides of the isle. NO ONE is advocating the "killing of children" nor are we "hired to kill". Roe v Wade made abortion legal. As nurses we are obligated to provide care to the patient regardless of our own personal opinions. Nurses have very right to not participate if she has strong moral feelings. However we do not bring our personal agenda to the patient.

This is why nurses who are opposed to the procedure are given the legal opportunity/obligation to opt out of the care of the patient.

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