Comments on: Conscience Clause Part II

By: Marybeth

Marybeth — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 16:30:58 +0000

I am an RN who believes that abortion is taking a human life. If I participated in an abortion, I would believe that I was participating in a murder. That violates my conscience. It is not true that everyone uses the “conscience clause” as an excuse. Many, many health practitioners believe this is a grave matter.

By: Marybeth

Marybeth — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 16:28:01 +0000

The birth control pill also allows fertilization but alters the mucous of the endometrium with progesterone to disallow implantation.

By: Marybeth

Marybeth — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 16:26:42 +0000

An IUD does not prevent fertilization. It prevents the implantation of the fertilized egg into the endometrium by causing a condition of chronic inflammation.

By: bill haywood

bill haywood — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 23:16:34 +0000

It sounds as if this was handled as a civil matter. To me, it was a clear case of sexual assault.

The so-called “nurse” should be in prison.

By: ninjanurse

ninjanurse — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 01:21:42 +0000

In the linked article the patient said that Ms. Olona tried to talk her into changing her birth control method to the pill or Depo shots. This is so wrong. Those methods are good and proven, but not right for every woman. That patient might have had medical reasons for needing the IUD.
The standard for choosing a birth control method should be the desire and well-being of the patient. That should be the standard of care for any treatment offered to any healthy patient. Give them the best information and respect their decisions.
If a doctor or a nurse has strong moral feelings about any aspect of care, they need to seek a workplace where their views will be understood and respected. That’s the sacrifice demanded by conscience. Shortchanging the patient on choice or information, or lying to them about what you have done to them is not an act of conscience–it is dishonorable.

By: klaus

klaus — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 00:17:03 +0000

Nurse/PA Olona crossed a line.

She took steps w/o consulting her patient based on her own moral code. Nurse/PA Olona was not acting in a religious setting. She was acting in a medical setting. As such, she had no right to make a medical decision based on her own personal moral code.

She clearly violated the rights of her patient.

Personally, I don’t believe a pharmacist should have the right not to fill birth control perscriptions, for exactly that reason. It places a moral barrier in a medical context.

There are, of course, reasons when morality should enter the medical realm. But no one is forcing anyone to become a pharmacist. It is a lucrative profession. If you don’t believe in filling birth control prescriptions, don’t become a pharmacist.

As for an MD not doing abortions…I believe that is different, even though I’m not sure how.