Does abortion play a role?

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Specializes in ICU/ER, Maternal, Psych.

Hi, I am Jen and I'm 30... I am a student nurse looking to go into the maternal/L&D/Midwifery world as a specilty after graduation. Whether that is being a L&D nurse or actually becoming a CNM, i am not 100% yet.

My question to you is... I am against abortion, i do not feel i could perform abortions or even refer women to get them die to my moral standpoint on them. I am 100% for family planning, IVF, and every other aspect of the women health world. Is is possible to be a CNM and have these ideals? or is it a conflict of interest? How would a CNM approach a situation where s/he didn't want to refer an abortion? Would you simply say to the pt that there are other CNM on staff who could refer you??

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When treating pts I have no opinion about their choices and lifestyles. How you feel on a "personal" level about someone's decision really doesn't matter. I cant imagine how Women feel going through with an abortion, it must be very hard on the majority of them. But every woman has a choice and their reasons, as their nurse I definetly don't have an opinion on what and why they decide. I personally probably wouldn't work in an abortion clinic but if I had a pt who needed assistance with information I would not hand them off to another staff to deal with them when I am qualified to do so.

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How you feel on a "personal" level about someone's decision really doesn't matter.

Girlafraid13, perhaps you should apply that same standard to your answer to OP's question. She is asking for guidance on standards of practice, not your opinion about her convictions. As nurses, our job is to educate people on their options whether or not we agree with their opinions or feelings. We do not offer judgment or opinions of our own. Give her the facts from your experience and let her make up her own mind.

OP's question is one many medical professionals wrestle with. I imagine that those who work in the field OP wants to enter deal with it more than most.

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Specializes in Telemetry, IMCU.
Jen_Loves_Nursing said:
Hi, I am Jen and I'm 30... I am a student nurse looking to go into the maternal/L&D/Midwifery world as a specilty after graduation. Whether that is being a L&D nurse or actually becoming a CNM, i am not 100% yet.

My question to you is... I am against abortion, i do not feel i could perform abortions or even refer women to get them die to my moral standpoint on them. I am 100% for family planning, IVF, and every other aspect of the women health world. Is is possible to be a CNM and have these ideals? or is it a conflict of interest? How would a CNM approach a situation where s/he didn't want to refer an abortion? Would you simply say to the pt that there are other CNM on staff who could refer you??

Maybe try NICU or postpartum or nursery. In nursing our opinions, beliefs, and morals don't count when we're caring for a patient. I'm a Christian, and although I'm not really a fan of abortion, it is the patient's choice.

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Specializes in OR, Nursing Professional Development.

You would have the responsibility to find a job where you will not encounter these situations. Whether that is in a Catholic facility or a unit where this does not occur, the onus is on you to make the decisions that will allow your moral compass while not impeding patients' autonomy.

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Specializes in School Nursing.
Rose_Queen said:
You would have the responsibility to find a job where you will not encounter these situations. Whether that is in a Catholic facility or a unit where this does not occur, the onus is on you to make the decisions that will allow your moral compass while not impeding patients' autonomy.

I agree with this advice. I think there will be plenty of places where you'll be able to work where you wont be placed in a position to promote or offer abortion as an alternative, if you feel that strongly about it.

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Specializes in Pediatrics, High-Risk L&D, Antepartum, L.

There's no issue for the most part. I don't believe in abortion and won't take part in one. I work L&D for many years with many nurses who wouldn't participate in terminations. There are lots of nurses who will and so they did them.

If you are a CNM and a patient wants an abortion...refer to an OB. Simple.

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Specializes in ICU/ER, Maternal, Psych.
MariposaLPN said:
Maybe try NICU or postpartum or nursery. In nursing our opinions, beliefs, and morals don't count when we're caring for a patient. I'm a Christian, and although I'm not really a fan of abortion, it is the patient's choice.

If i was a practicing midwife and I had a women come to me for abortion advise and consult... possible referral... I could do all those things but morally am I being hypocrite by offering her abortion assistance?

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Specializes in Oncology/Haemetology/HIV.

I do not believe in abortion.

As such, while I might like certain areas of nursing, I felt a responsibility to work in a speciality that does not conflict with that.

As a healthcare provider in women's health, you have an ethical duty to advise a patient of all of their legal options when they inquire. Your beliefs (religious, cultural, personal) do not permit you to do so with personal comfort. Thus you will end up being untrue to one or the other of your duties.

There are facilities that do not perform abortion due to religious affiliation. You might contact them and inquire about how the issues are handled in light of that, and think of limiting your employment to those employees.

As a note, IVF frequently involves selective reduction of pregnancies when multiple embryos implant, and there are too many to carry safely to term. There are other forms of assisted conception that involve wasting unused embryos. How does supporting IVF or those issues fit with your beliefs?

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Specializes in Reproductive & Public Health.
Jen_Loves_Nursing said:
If i was a practicing midwife and I had a women come to me for abortion advise and consult... possible referral... I could do all those things but morally am I being hypocrite by offering her abortion assistance?

Do you think abortion should be illegal? I am going to assume that you, personally, are morally opposed to abortion yet still think it should be legally available. The data is quite clear that restricting access to abortion does not lower abortion rates, and instead only increases maternal (AND INFANT) mortality and morbidity. I provided some references in the other current abortion thread in this forum, if you want to search my posts.

Assuming you believe abortion should be legal, then NO, there is no hypocrisy is referring a woman for a safe, legal procedure that you cannot or will not provide. The problem comes when you refuse to provide a referral, or if you intentionally do NOT present abortion as a reasonable option, either by refusing to discuss it at all or presenting misinformation about the procedure.

If you believe abortion should be illegal, then I would imagine you would not be able to morally refer someone for the procedure. In that case, you should not work in women's health.

And I want to echo previous posters- this issue is anything but black and white. Reduction of higher order multiples, caring for women in areas that lack easy access to abortion, counseling women who are concerned about the theoretical potential for IUDs to prevent implantation of a blastocyst, providing pre and post abortion care, caring for rape victims- these are all things to think about.

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Specializes in Med-Surg and Neuro.

There's a lawsuit in FL about this right now. A facility wouldn't hire a nurse mid-wife because she's anti-abortion, maybe BC too (I don't recall.) The facility says it's a part of the job, and refusing to do part of the job means you don't get the job. We'll see what the courts say.

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Specializes in Reproductive & Public Health.
Scorpio_RN_BSN said:
There's a lawsuit in FL about this right now. A facility wouldn't hire a nurse mid-wife because she's anti-abortion, maybe BC too (I don't recall.) The facility says it's a part of the job, and refusing to do part of the job means you don't get the job. We'll see what the courts say.

She was applying for a TITLE X funded position. Title X is a federally funded family planning initiative. Contraception management is a fundamental part of this position. She said she was not willing to prescribe hormonal birth control unless there was a "medical reason." And apparently preventing pregnancy is not a valid reason in and of itself.

The pro-life community has spinned this to make it sound like the clinic would not hire her because she refused to provide abortions (which midwives cannot legally do in Florida anyway!!!). They also state that the CNM refuses to prescribe hormonal birth control because it can cause abortion " in some cases." This is just fundamentally untrue. Hormonal birth control has been shown over and over to be almost completely benign to a pregnancy. (It is true that IUDs may sometimes interrupt implantation, but their primary mechanism is preventing fertilization. It is also true that an IUD in situ with a pregnancy causes the risk of miscarriage if removed, or infection if left in place). This CNM did not say she wasn't comfortable assisting in abortions and inserting IUDs. She basically said she wasn't willing to do the majority of the job she wanted to be hired for!

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