Conscientious objection and nurses: Results of an interpretive phenomenological study

Abstract

Addressing ethical issues in nursing practice is complex. The need for education across nursing, healthcare disciplines and socio-political sectors is essential to respond to nurses' ethical concerns giving rise to objections. Conscience emerged as an informant to nurses' conscientious objections. The need for morally inclusive environments and addressing challenging ethical questions as well as the concept of conscience are relevant to advancing nursing ethics and ethical nursing practice.

Riding an elephant: A qualitative study of nurses' moral journeys in the context of Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD)

“…An earlier study of Dutch nurses' experiences revealed similar findings of nurses' reluctance to share their opinions about assisted death out of a respect for one another (van de Scheur & van der Arend, 1998). Finally, a recent study illustrated some of the challenges experienced by conscientiously objecting nurses in the Canadian context (Lamb, Babenko‐Mould, Evans, Wong, & Kirkwood, 2019). Nurses found it difficult to take a stand against assisted death.…”

Nurses’ use of conscientious objection and the implications for conscience

“…Moreover, there is a gap in the literature showing that little is known about what conscience means to nurses. To date, research findings advance and reinforce the need to explore the space between nurses’ conscience encounters, create resolutions to their issues of conscience through policies, public awareness, and enhance professional recognition that supports conscience clauses for nurses’ ethical healthcare practice (Ford, Fraser, & Marck, ; Lamb et al., ). This study is the first to start addressing how nurses make meaning of conscience, to begin to close the gap on how to then advance interventions that will address nurses’ issues of conscience in clinical practice.…”

“…In contrast with moral distress, CO is distinct in that it involves acting and speaking up to refrain from doing something one perceives to be unethical, by following the dictates of one's conscience (Canadian Nurses Association, ; Conscientious objection, ). Studies conducted related to CO indicate that CO's may range from direct refusals on the nurses’ part to performing certain aspects of care, to less direct approaches, such as conversations with leadership in efforts to resolve the ethical dilemma at hand (Catlin et al., ).…”

Is Conscientious Objection Possible in Nursing Care?

“…Bu çalışmada, bilinçli olarak vicdani redde bulunan bir hemşire olmanın nasıl bir şey olduğu ilk kez ortaya konmaktadır. 31 Hemşirelerde vicdani ret ile ilgili Kanada'da yürütülen araştırmalar, vicdani reddin, bakımı doğrudan reddetmeden belirli yönlerini reddetmeye ya da etik ikilemi çözmede pasif kalmaya kadar farklı boyut-larda yaşandığını göstermektedir. 22,32 Bu çalışmada, yazar tarafından literatür temelli olarak hemşirelik bakımında vicdani ret süreci Şekil 1'de kavramsallaştırılarak şematize edilmiştir.…”