Data reveals how nurses adapted to antiabortion environments
Recently published research paints troubling picture of abortion care fraught with other considerations.
A new study revealed that institutions fail to provide nurses with the necessary information for patient care regarding abortion, leading to a culture of fear and mistrust.
An article in the Journal of Nursing Administration showed that nurses often avoid discussing abortion due to interpersonal tensions and a lack of clear communication. Individual nurses prioritize patient care over legislative concerns. Institutional practices hinder effective patient management. The lack of clear guidelines and fear of legal repercussions lead to inadequate care, particularly for patients with pregnancy complications.
Lisa Wolf, one of the researchers behind the study, spoke about its findings.
“Institutions are not giving nurses the information they need to provide good patient care, and that appears to be sort of a fear-driven process right now,” Wolf said. “The way that the laws are written, they're generally very vague. And so there's a lot of compliance in advance from medical institutions because those exceptions, if there are any, are really unclear.”
Although no physician has been charged for performing a medically necessary abortion, there is a culture of silence among healthcare professionals in situations where an abortion is indicated as the proper treatment.
Conversations with colleagues about abortion are fraught with other considerations. They would consider things like clothing choices when figuring out who was sympathetic to abortion rights. Wolf gave an example of the thought process.
“Were they wearing pins? Were they wearing Chuck Taylors and pearls to work?” Wolf said. “What told me that this was an okay person to have this conversation with?”
Some nurses said doctors wouldn’t prescribe Plan B, known as emergency contraception, even though it’s not a form of medication abortion. Doctors would also assign nurses based on their views on abortion.
“The impact of not having these discussions, and of not really insisting on clarification, means that patients don't get care,” Wolf said. “We just punt them up the road.”
Wolf said nurses must discuss these things to help develop a movement for clearer and more open communication regarding pregnant patients.
“They have to engage with it,” Wolf said. “They have to advocate for patients and also for their nurses, to alleviate what is becoming a tsunami of moral distress.”