Abortion and Nurse's Conscientious Objection - Essay Example

?Legality of Abortion: Nurse’s Ethics and Conscientious Objection The dilemma of abortion is faced by the society for so many years and is still in prevalence but what we can do is discuss the factors surrounding the argument, so when the person such as a nurse is faced with the dilemma he or she can make a conscious, educated, thoughtful decision. The question of this essay is regarding legality of abortion and nurse’s right of objection. Two Roman Catholic nurses recently won the right not to work in an abortion clinic, which is not new considering the right of conscientious objection to abortion on religious or ethical grounds, was written in an act of 1967. "No person shall be under any duty, whether by contract or by any statutory or other legal requirement, to participate in any treatment authorized by this act to which he has a conscientious objection."(The Gaurdian,2011) But this statement is modified in the cases where mother’s life is at stake. There are several conceptions of conscience. Some are religious and some are secular. According to some conceptions identify conscience as a faculty that discerns moral truth or makes ethical judgments. For some it has no importance when it comes to the decisions already made by law or Governmental rule.(The Gaurdian,2011) Abortion is however, one of the most ethical dilemmas faced by the society for decades. There are many strong arguments about the issue for those who are in favor or against it. Abortion is a pregnancy termination, an ending of a life that has just begun. Social and personal issues are the main causes of abortions. Such as more then 60% of abortions are caused on single woman. Arguments which takes place mostly against abortions are that growing embryo is living being with a heart beat and it is unmerciful to kill an unborn child whereas, abortion is not a solution for the financial problems of mothers, adoption is the relevant solution for that. According to an obstetrician nurses don’t need to be bothered by the rightness or wrongness of abortion, it is the decision taken by physicians and nurses do as they are told. Why should they discuss the pros and cons of abortion when the decision lies in the hands of church or other Governmental organization? So if an abortion is decided then nurses have no right to object to the decision. These are the reflections of some of the attitudes of health care professionals. However, as a health care professional, nurses have a right as well as responsibility to judge their attitudes towards abortion, both personal and professional integrity relies on them that they provide, on the basis of their knowledge and integrity, participate in care of patient only in therapeutic ways.(Bosek,2007) According to the Abortion Law Reform Bill 2008 legalized abortion in the State of Victoria, Australia. Section 8, of the bill demands that physicians, who object to abortion for reasons of conscience must refer a woman to a colleague or another physician, who has no such objections in order to facilitate with the abortion procedure, and requires physicians to perform abortions if necessary "to preserve the life of the pregnant woman."  Many physicians who object to abortion also object to transfer for abortion on the grounds that to refer or otherwise facilitate the procedure makes them ethically complicit in it. A number of individuals and groups have spoken out against the bill, often for a combination of reasons. (Legal Commentaries.2008)). Not only physicians but also nurses have a responsibility in this scenario and there are a number of reasons why they can not ignore the question of abortion. Conscientious objection in medicine is the idea that a health care provider can refrain from offering certain types of medical care with which he/she does not personally agree. These include services which are although legal and medically appropriate such as abortion or sterilization. On one hand ANMC code of ethics state that nurses are to respect the wishes of their patients as long as they are reasonable.(Clinical Correlations,2009) “Nurses value the legal and moral right of people, including children, to participate whenever possible in decision making concerning their nursing and health care and treatment, and assist them to determine their care on the basis of informed decision making” And on the other hand nurses are also moral beings and their morality should not be violated by dictates from legislatures, medical community or by patient’s interest. As time is passing safe abortion is getting common and laws are being created to make it easy to assess and numbers of women are increasing who seek for abortion. There are three basic ways by which nurse come in contact with abortion 1). When a girl or a women faces the dilemma of pregnancy, when she is not in a position to continue with it, most often they come to nurses for help because of their knowledge and because of being a women they feel more comfortable to discuss it with a nurse. So the nurse is in a position to refer a good physician and when she has a position she should help make the women make a sensible decision. According to ANMC code of ethics “Nurses make informed decisions in relation to their practice within the constraints of their professional role and in accordance with ethical and legal requirements. Nurses are entitled to do this without undue pressure or coercion of any kind. Nurses are responsible for ensuring their decision making is based on contemporary, relevant and well founded knowledge and information”. 2). Nurses help physician during an abortion procedure. In this case a nurse can decide whether her moral, ethical or religious belief allow her to participate in the procedure. According to ANMC code a nurse can refuse from terminating the process if she feels it morally unacceptable or if that act may jeopardize both patient’s health and nursing care, but any other nurse can do the procedure because authority and law agrees with it and the process of possession of life can still be terminated. The criticality of the situation is what a nurse ought to do. The whole orientation of the nursing has emphasized on saving a life. How can they participate, without being morally mortified in destroying a life? .According to a lawyer Neil Addison “Nurse’s belief in the sanctity of life from conception onwards was a philosophical belief protected under the Equality Act and therefore any attempt to pressure them into participating in the abortion clinic or to suggest that their refusal would affect their career would be illegal under the Equality Act 2010." (The Guardian,2011) Nurses also give care to the person who comes to her after abortion and this is the time when she takes care of the patient and not judges them morally, it is a very difficult time for patient and with a little kindness of nurse they can cope with the problems more appropriately and help them make more informed decisions. ANMC code states clearly” Nurses respect the rights of colleagues and members of other disciplines to participate in informed decision making. Making these collaborative and informed decisions includes involving the person requiring or receiving nursing care (or their representative) in decisions relating to their nursing or health care, without being subject to coercion of any kind”. So the nurse must consider some moral and ethical questions when in a position of terminating a life. The law in past only allowed therapeutic abortions, these were the abortions being done when the patient’s mental or physical health was at stake. However now many of the states have adopted more liberalized law that allows abortion without any barrier and decision only depends upon the women and her physician. Today’s nurse should not think that this problem will be solved by a leader from the church or a person making a law. A nurse should resolve these issues for herself before going ahead with the procedure or she will face difficulty helping the troubled person who seeks her for help. Often the rights of parents and that of developing fetus conflict, a nurse should think about what it means for her to save a life. According to 1970 bill of Rights for children and youth clearly states that “ a child has a right to be wanted and born well” where as Ellen White gave similar counsel when she stated that parents should not bring a child into this world if he is not well cared for. In this consequence is that better for a person to bring a child to be neglected and uncared for into this world or perhaps prevent from becoming a human in the beginning, Nurses as individuals have different views regarding the issue, but mostly they are against the law of legally terminating a life. However, many of nurses are concerned about women carrying unwanted or deformed babies feel that abortion is justified. But no matter what the pros and cons of the issue are women seeking for abortion needs help and nursing is based on the idea of providing care and comfort to those who are in dire need of it. When an abortion is for personal reason such as unwanted pregnancy is objectionable or is causing social problems that can be dealt with or some other financial issues then a nurse have a right to object and the laws and rules can not bully her into doing what she is not comfortable with. A nurse can show compassion for the women caught up uncertain situation that cause her to choose abortion and can direct her to make a thoughtful decision.(SpectrumMag.,1971) Bibliography Top of Form Bosek, M. S. D. W., & Savage, T. A. (2007). The ethical component of nursing education: Integrating ethics into clinical experience. Philadephia: Lippincott Williams and Wilkins. Clinical Correlations,Conscientious Objection in Medicine: A Moral Dilemma,2009http://www.clinicalcorrelations.org/?p=1454Bottom of Form Spectrum Magazine, The Nurse and Abortion,1971http://spectrummagazine.org/files/archive/archive01-05/3-2maxwell.pdf Legal Commentaries, Responses to Abortion Law reform bills,2008http://www.consciencelaws.org/issues-legal/legal037.html The Guardian, The law that listens to Catholic nurses on abortion,2011< Available online at>http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/aug/17/catholic-nurses-abortion-clinic ANMC, Code of Ethics for Nurses in Australia,2008http://www.nrgpn.org.au/index.php?element=ANMC+Code+of+Ethics Read More