Abortion education in nurse practitioner, physician assistant and certified nurse–midwifery programs: a national survey

An Evidence‐Based Guideline for Unintended Pregnancy Prevention

“…Pregnancy options care and coordination is an essential core competency of the nurse caring for women and men of reproductive age (Levi et al, ). However, this skill is generally not taught in nursing or primary care training programs (Foster et al, ) Nurses, as guided by the Code of Ethics for Nurses , have a mandatory obligation to care for their patients, regardless of their health concern or problem, in a way that respects each patient's dignity (American Nurses Association, ).Therefore, the responsibility of any nurse is to either provide a patient experiencing an unintended pregnancy with accurate information about her options or to offer a prompt, accessible, and coordinated referral to a provider who can provide care (Levi et al, ). Additionally, Cappiello, Beal, and Hudson‐Gallogly () and other authors suggest some providers are uncomfortable due to their religious or moral beliefs, and some states have laws that allow health care providers to refuse to participate in care involving reproductive health care delivery (Sonfield, ; Weitz & Fogel, ).…”

Nurses and Care of Women Seeking Abortions, 1971 to 2011

“…The role definition of CNMs as determined by the American College of Nurse Midwives (ACNM) is addressed in 11 of the 14 articles (Abbott et al, ; Berer, ; Bewley, ; Foster et al, ; Hord & Delano, ; Joffe & Yanow, ; Kowalczyk, ; Summers, ; Kruse, ; Narrigan, ; Yarnall et al, ). In 1971 a consensus statement published by the ACNM prohibited CNMs from performing abortions; it was updated without change in 1990 (Summers).…”

Barriers to D&E practice among family planning subspecialists

“…Their participation, however, has declined over time, from 52% in 1988 to 39% in 1998 [21]. Possible explanations for that decline include lack of clinical instruction in nursing school education [22] and the stigma of being involved in abortion care [23][24][25]. Nurses are a critical link in providing quality abortion care.…”