Pro Life Beliefs and Nursing

[Tuzla99]

After spending weeks at a hospital while my dad was there I decided I wanted to pursue nursing as my future career after the great care they provided and I wish to do the same to others. I have pro-life beliefs and would not be able to live with myself killing a child. I know abortion is not an easy topic to discuss and I find I am very ignorant on the subject.

I would never treat anyone who has had an abortion differently and would give the best care to anyone regardless of religion or life choices. If anyone was in a certain situation when they started nursing school I would love to hear advice on what you did. I see myself either specializing in nurse researching/informatics or even oncology. I'm still learning and everything seems new and overwhelming to me so any input is greatly appreciated.

This is in no way meant to push any of my beliefs on any individual or to start arguments. I thank each and every one of you who are in a nursing field or will be in the future. Your work is invaluable.

[klone, MSN, RN]

This isn't necessary for a lot of patients.

No, it's not necessary for all. But it is necessary for some.

[ruby_jane, BSN, RN]

I think you just have to find your North and you'll find a place for you in nursing. Everybody's North is different...

^ Beautifully written. ^

OP, one of the best benefits of aging (not just nursing) is that if we're lucky enough to achieve a good age, we have the benefit of decades of decisions and wisdom (our own and that learned from others). Enter into nursing with open eyes, mind and heart. You'll do fine.

[Amethya]

I'm pro-choice, but since I was brought up by a catholic family, I don't like abortion much.

But as someone said, keep your opinions to yourself when working professionally.

Of course, I never had to work in anything that I have to worry about it, but if I do, I'm not exactly sure what my thoughts will be when it comes to that.

[amzyRN]

There are religious hospital systems that don't do abortions, why don't you seek employment there? In nonreligious based systems I think there are policies that staff aren't required to carry out abortions if they have ethical objections against it. Also, depending on your specialty you'd never have to assist in abortions. I feel like it's a non issue. You will be required to respect other's beliefs and opinions that may be different than your own though in the work place though. I've worked with people who are highly religious and people who are not who's beliefs and politics are widely diverse and we were able to get along and work together as a team. You can do this too.

[WomensHealthNurse]

I worked on a Maternal Infant Services floor and during my lunch break a few nurses had participated in a conversation in our break room about abortions in light of the recent presidential election results. It was wonderful conversation where everyone respected one another and quickly came to the conclusion that you can have whatever beliefs you want but at the end of the day you need to respect your patients beliefs. So even if you were to pursue a career in womens health it wouldnt be any different that choosing a career in any other speciality. You are always going to run into people that have differing views than your own. In nursing school my psych prof would say she struggled with treating pedophiles the most because of how strongly she was opposed to them. However, she had to stay concious of herself and remember to treat them like anyone else.

[Libby1987]

Not sure if anyone already said this, but we have to deal with patients who have committed crimes that go against most of our morals, it won't be limited to abortion. If 1 in 4 women have been sexually assaulted, think how many of the abusers we're taking care of. Then there are the child abusers and molesters. Just something to consider.

[beachynurse, ASN, BSN]

I have been a nurse for 33 years now and one thing I learned early was not to be judgemental about anything or anyone. I am pro-choice, and feel very strongly that I will respect and support the beliefs of others, as I want mine to be respected and supported. I think that if you are in the medical field you may run across patients that make many decisions that might not meet with our beliefs or values, but that doesn't mean they do not deserve care. I can put aside my feelings in order to provide the best care I can for my patient no matter what.

[MrsMRN]

I have been a nurse for seven years, working in a large variety of different areas in hospitals, clinics and schools. I have never come across anyone who had disclosed they had an abortion. Nor would I treat them differently if they had. What I have encountered was very difficult for me. i was seven months pregnant with my first child and having to take care of a woman who was also seven months pregnant. She was a drug addict, on a med/surg unit for an abscess and they wanted me to give her narcotic pain meds as well as methadone literally every 4 hours. she was constantly hooked up to a fetal heart monitor and always ******** about wanting more meds. It felt like she never once thought about that baby. THAT was very difficult. But I had to trust that the docs knew what they were doing and what the baby and her could handle. The baby ended up being born early and was taken away from mom.

[klone, MSN, RN]

i was seven months pregnant with my first child and having to take care of a woman who was also seven months pregnant. She was a drug addict, on a med/surg unit for an abscess and they wanted me to give her narcotic pain meds as well as methadone literally every 4 hours. she was constantly hooked up to a fetal heart monitor and always ******** about wanting more meds. It felt like she never once thought about that baby. THAT was very difficult. But I had to trust that the docs knew what they were doing and what the baby and her could handle. The baby ended up being born early and was taken away from mom.

And THAT is why I am pro-abortion.

[MEINstudent]

I am against abortion as well. I worked in med-surg where it wasn't an issue ever. Now I work in the OR at a hospital where we do abortions up to 24 weeks (at least). I signed a form when I transferred to the OR that I would not participate in them. They actually only have a handful of nurses who will do abortions here, and the burnout is super high. I talk to one of them occasionally; she stopped because she had "trouble convincing herself what was in the pan was a specimen", though she is still pro-abortion. I love the OR but it's very demoralizing to know they are happening next door, especially later in pregnancy when we know those babies feel pain. I have actually been thinking about what I can do as a nurse to work at ending abortion

[boquiabierta]

Are you worried that you will encounter a patient that has had an abortion?

Because it is very unlikely unless you plan on working on an obstretrics

unit and even then I'm not sure that it is likely you will encounter someone

who has had an elective abortion.

I assume you meant that the OP is unlikely to care for a patient undergoing an abortion. Because patients who have had abortions are incredibly common. About 1 in every 4 women will choose elective abortion at some point in her life. So in fact it is virtually guaranteed that the OP will care for someone who has had an abortion. She just probably won't know about it.

I am an abortion care nurse and I love what I do.

Abortion Is a Common Experience for U.S. Women, Despite Dramatic Declines in Rates | Guttmacher Institute

[Oldmahubbard]

Most of our ethical issues are on the opposite side of the life spectrum. As a nurse, you will be required to participate in futile care, that is painful for the patient, and an enormous waste of society's resources.

This will be inescapable for you in a hospital nursing, but not as bad in other settings.

My opinion, end of rant.