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This article explores the concept of conscientious objection in nursing, particularly when personal beliefs conflict with patient care. Nurses may refuse to participate in certain procedures based on their conscience, such as abortions, contraceptive administration, or assisted suicides. It is crucial to differentiate between conscientious objection and patient abandonment, ensuring that nurses maintain responsibility for patient care while adhering to personal and ethical standards. The article highlights the importance of professional relationships and emergency situations in nursing practice.
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Question Number 2 Does the nurse have the right to ignore the wishes of the patient and the family on grounds of conscience?
Does the nurse have the right to ignore the wishes of the patient and the family on grounds of conscience? YES
The nurse as a conscientious objector • Nurses who find themselves in situations wherein the proposed patient care clashes with the nurse's religious or personal beliefs are sometimes referred to as conscientious objectors. https://www.nursingcenter.com/library/JournalArticle.asp?Article_ID=797663
The nurse as a conscientious objector • The classic examples of a nurse becoming a conscientious objector are • nurse in the obstetrics unit who does not want to participate in an abortion • administering certain contraceptives • withdrawing life support and feedings • participating in an assisted suicide • transfusing blood products. https://www.nursingcenter.com/library/JournalArticle.asp?Article_ID=797663
Conscientious objection • Conscientious objectionin the healthcare setting can be defined as the refusal of any member of the healthcare team to take part in some aspect of care for a patient on the basis of conscience.
3 characteristics of Conscience 1. an internal sense of responsibility that influences judgments regarding right and wrong actions, 2. the consequence of internalization of norms and mores of the culture, and 3. a representation of the uprightness and totality of the person.
Patient Abandonment Versus Refusal of an Assignment When the nurse accepts a patient assignment, the nurse maintains responsibility for that patient until : the nurse-patient relationship is ended by the patient's discharge the transfer of responsibility to another nurse, or the patient's refusal of the nurse's services. • Patient abandonment occurs when the nurse engages in a patient assignment and ceases to provide nursing care without appropriately transferring the responsibility for the patient to another professional nurse
• The ethical physician should neither expect nor insist that nurses follow orders contrary to standards of good medical and nursing practice. In emergencies, when prompt action is necessary and the physician is not immediately available, a nurse may be justified in acting contrary to the physician’s standing orders for the safety of the patient. Such occurrences should not be considered to be a breakdown in professional relations. (IV, V) Issued June 1983; Updated June 1994.
