Nurses Role In protecting Women's Rights

[Amigo_of_Nightingale]

Hello friends,

I am a senior at Kent Stat's College or Nursing. I am doing an assignment that may get published in an area district nurses association publication. We are writing on women's rights. It seems like with bills such as the heartbeat bill and the like woman's rights are being attacked.

What is the nurses role in protecting the rights of women? Are we doing enough? Is this an issue that nursing ought to tackle? Please let me know your title and if I can include you in my paper.

Thanks!

[Rose_Queen, BSN, MSN, RN]

You will find people from all walks of life in nursing. Some of those nurses may agree with the bills that are being considered and/or passed. However, nurses have the responsibility of either providing information about procedures that they may not personally agree with or passing care of that patient onto someone who is willing to do it.

For example, I work in a doctor's office (I don't really), and a woman has a positive pregnancy test. Should that woman desire information on abortion, I would give her that information. While I personally would never have one, I can understand that others may desire so. My personal belief is that abortion should be legal, safe, and rare. However, Susie Coworker may believe that abortion is a mortal sin, and does not agree with giving such information. That nurse should refer that patient to either me or another nurse who is willing to provide that information.

The role nurses should play in protecting women's rights is a delicate balance between being able to live with the conscience, and making sure that the patient is informed of all of their choices, not just some of their choices.