Ethical Issues With Abortion Essay

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Abortion is a controversial issue in the United States and internationally even when it is legalized. Though women in the United States are able to receive abortions nurses still have many concerns about the ethical issues surrounding abortion. One of the biggest ethical dilemmas is whether the nurse’s role as a caregiver extends to the fetus. This paper will explore the issues faced by nurses who believe they should care for the fetus. If the definition of a patient includes the fetus then providing abortions is contrary to the nurse’s role as caregiver; however, the mother is definitely a patient and must be cared for as well. It is the nurse’s responsibility to support the woman’s decision so that she may obtain an abortion safely. Nurses …show more content…

Nonmaleficence means not doing harm to patients. Nurses who classify the fetus as a patient may believe that providing abortions is harmful. However, according to the principle of autonomy the mother is allowed to make her own decision to terminate the pregnancy. One study "found that nurses felt pressured and caught between two opposing imperatives: the woman 's right to choose to terminate a pregnancy...and the foetus ' right to exist" (Yang, 2016, p.1449). For this reason, conscientious objection allows a nurse to refuse an assignment that would conflict with his or her personal …show more content…

A woman who does not feel welcome or safe may not seek medical care, even if she decides to have an abortion. Some women "terminate their pregnancies by whatever means are available to them, even if it is against the law, unsafe, and might result in complications" (Oduro, 2014, p.920). This demonstrates the importance of respecting a patient 's autonomy, as the patient who has decided to end a pregnancy will do so without assistance if denied the right to do so safely with medical professionals. Though some may consider the fetus to be a patient it is the mother that is able to make decisions and who must be cared for as well. Shunning women asking for abortions "defies our very role as a nurse to prevent illness, promote and restore health and alleviate suffering" (Smyth, 2016, p.117) as it will cause the woman more distress and possibly have a negative effect on her

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