THE ROLE OF NURSING IN RELATION TO ABORTION
This research considers the role of nursing in relation to abortion. Nurses in the 1990s are confronted with an array of issues that contain moral dimensions (Clarke, 1991, pp. 22 25). These issues run the gamut from considerations of a patient's right to die, to adhering to physicians' "do not resuscitate" orders, to cheating in clinical research, and to the role of the nurse in questions of abortion (Hoyer, 1991, pp. 170 173; Silva, 1991, pp. 69 79; Yarling, 1990a, pp. 327 334)).
Research has found that a decision to abort or not to abort is difficult for a woman, regardless of the circumstances and the nature of the decision (Hall, pp. 32 35). Research has also found that many women experience difficulty in verbally expressing their feeling with respect to a decision concerning an abortion (Fraser, 1990, pp. 45 47). The thesis of this research is that it is the duty of the professional nurse, regardless of her or his personal opinion with respect to abortion, to assure that clients make informed decisions concerning abortion.
That nursing is based on a moral foundation is recognized Yarling, 1990b, pp. 335 342). That being said, however, there has been discomfort among nursing educators with both the prospect of teaching moral development and determining what to teach in this context (Foulk, 1991, pp. 31 46). Nevertheless, the integration of moral development into nursing education is important because nursing education programs shape the future expectations of the professional nurse. The professional obligations of nurses demand that professional nurses have a grasp of the ethical bases of their profession (Hussey, 1990, pp. 1377 1382). Increased activism in the nursing profession must be accompanied by moral development, if conflict and chaos are to be avoided.
One issue concerning the integration of moral development into nursing education and nursing practice conce...