As a nursing student, will I be prodded to become Prochoice?

[avidhunter3]

Hello! I am getting ready to start the nursing program in January and I just wondered about nursing and the abortion issues. I know many have their own ideas about what they beleive and that is ok. I happen to be prolife. Not the carry the signs around kind, or the condemning kind. Just that I believe unless medically necessary that a life should not be taken. I just wondered as a student, do you hear much about being prolife? or prochoice? I know prochoice is the leader from what I hear, but Im just hoping we arent ever asked to really discuss it or debate it, as I am sure it would turn pretty nasty. I COULD care for a patient that had an abortion, I just might not have understand or agreed with their decision, but I dont think what I THINK has anything to do with the care of the patient. I just wondered as a nurse if its often discussed, and are you looked down upon if you are Prolife vs. Prochoice.

[ErinJane]

They might discuss it when they review ethics in term of the exact issue you already identified: Can you care for a patient who has made past decisions that you disagree with? Could you assist with the procedure? Could you provide care afterwards? (Those are examples of questions). The best advice we received was: If you don't want to have anything to do with it, don't work in an institution that provides them.

That was the entirety of our discussion of the subject. No judgments or answers were provided.

I am prochoice and greatly outnumbered in my program. However, I am greatly outnumbered in my state (Idaho).

Overall, don't stress about it. Politics isn't the field of study, nursing is. It is good to know your moral ground and where you stand before you walk into a situation where you have to face your beliefs and prejudiced head on.

[Nepenthe Sea]

ErinJane said:

They might discuss it when they review ethics in term of the exact issue you already identified: Can you care for a patient who has made past decisions that you disagree with? Could you assist with the procedure? Could you provide care afterwards? (Those are examples of questions). The best advice we received was: If you don't want to have anything to do with it, don't work in an institution that provides them.

That was the entirety of our discussion of the subject. No judgments or answers were provided.

I am prochoice and greatly outnumbered in my program. However, I am greatly outnumbered in my state (Idaho).

Overall, don't stress about it. Politics isn't the field of study, nursing is. It is good to know your moral ground and where you stand before you walk into a situation where you have to face your beliefs and prejudiced head on.

Pro-choice and greatly outnumbered here, too (Texas). From what I have heard mentioned about abortion at school, so far, I think most of the nurses and instructors around here are pro-life. But I do live in one of the most conservative areas in the country.

I know last semester when we talked about ethics that the professor was saying "Will you have trouble taking care of a patient who has had an abortion? What about one who has had a partial-birth abortion?" She made it sound like you have the choice to not take the patient if it goes against your morals, but I may be wrong.

[sweetiepeas]

I think if you are able to provide ALL the information to a patient to allow them to make the best choice for themselves then you will be fine.

I think the same goes with religion, as long as you can except that other people have their own opinions and beliefs then you'll do fine.

[avidhunter3]

sweetiepeas said:

I think if you are able to provide ALL the information to a patient to allow them to make the best choice for themselves then you will be fine.

I think the same goes with religion, as long as you can except that other people have their own opinions and beliefs then you'll do fine.

I completely agree with that :wink2: I think its fine that everyone has their own beliefs. I just didnt know if they kinda wanted you to be more prochoice than prolife. To me its kinda one of those private matters. Just like I dont think my religion should ever be brought up, as they dont relate to me being a good nurse. I guess you just have to look at everything "medically speaking" and not question why.

Do they even want the nurses discussing things like abortion amongst themselves?

[Cammie895]

The only time it was ever really mentioned in our program was during Foundations when they discussed our major roles as nurses. We were told that we will never be forced to assist with an abortion but there might be situations where we have to provide care for the woman after the procedure is over. Other than that they didn't really go into it much. A few students made comments of their own but the instructor changed the subject pretty quick. I'm sure many of our students could have spent the entire semester debating it..no sense in wasting valuable class time.

If you were ever flat-out asked about it I'd just say that you keep your personal opinions to yourself but that you'll never let a patient go without proper care based on your own moral views. And then just don't get a job somewhere that does abortions regularly or for non-emergencies.

[XYcsccSN]

No, you are allowed to have your own beliefs. You just can not let your views interfere with patient care. You will need to be able to give information about abortion to patients but you will never be expected to participate in one.

[avidhunter3]

Cammie895 said:

The only time it was ever really mentioned in our program was during Foundations when they discussed our major roles as nurses. We were told that we will never be forced to assist with an abortion but there might be situations where we have to provide care for the woman after the procedure is over. Other than that they didn't really go into it much. A few students made comments of their own but the instructor changed the subject pretty quick. I'm sure many of our students could have spent the entire semester debating it..no sense in wasting valuable class time.

If you were ever flat-out asked about it I'd just say that you keep your personal opinions to yourself but that you'll never let a patient go without proper care based on your own moral views. And then just don't get a job somewhere that does abortions regularly or for non-emergencies.

That sounds great! Sorta detour it to something else. Not that Im scared to stand up for what I believe, but I dont think my beliefs should be pushed on someone else and vice versa. That makes me feel better to know its not a big issue in school.

[pkellogg_6970]

I think it's great that you are keeping yourself informed of the current trend, as well as sticking true to your beliefs.

[MattiesMama]

Nursing is about putting your personal judgements aside and caring for the patient regardless of whether or not you agree with your descisions or lifestyle. As long as you are able to do that, you should be fine.

[Sarah Hay]

This is not a topic we learned about it nursing school and it would be an inappropriate topic to talk about. It is a PERSONAL DECISION and no one but the woman is to make the decision. We learn about it, risks etc but to hear "Abortions are wrong," is something you will not hear and if you do ... oh boy, start a riot!

[Daytonite, BSN, RN]

The only kind of schools that might be like that would be private schools operated by religious institutions and there aren't many of them any more. Most students going to those schools are aware of the religious beliefs of the group that run the school and are usually asked to sign some sort of agreement that they will abide by the beliefs of the religious group or hit the road. One of my first lessons in nursing school back in 1973 was about being nonjudgmental about people and their beliefs and I'm pretty sure that is still taught today. If some medical practice is offense to me or I don't agree with it I find somewhere else to work.