G1 - Conscientious Objection: The Nurse's Role and Current Challenges

Maternal-child nurses face ethical dilemmas and experience conflicts between their professional oath, a desire to care for the suffering, and a fiduciary duty to serve against the expanding body of legal and regulatory requirements. This presentation examines ethical conflicts which can lead to the nurse’s use of conscientious objection based on moral grounds. Current challenges for the healthcare facility and implications for patients and nurses who claim such rights will be examined.