1. A nurse has been offered a position on an obstetric unit and has learned that the unit offers therapeutic
abortions, a procedure that contradicts the nurse's personal beliefs. What is the nurse's ethical
obligation to these clients?
A. The nurse should adhere to professional standards of practice and offer service to these
clients.
B. The nurse should make the choice to decline this position and pursue a different nursing
role.
C. The nurse should decline to care for the client’s considering abortion.
D. The nurse should express alternatives to women considering terminating their pregnancy.
ANS: B
Rationale: To avoid facing the ethical dilemma of providing care that contradicts the nurse’s personal
beliefs, the nurse should consider working in an area of nursing that would not pose this dilemma. The
nurse should not provide care to the client because it is a conflict of personal values. The nurse should
not deny care to these clients as this would be a breach in the Code of Ethics for nurses. If the client is
not requesting information for alternatives to abortions, then the nurse should not be providing this
information.
PTS: 1 REF: p. 27
NAT: Client Needs: Safe, Effective Care Environment: Management of Care
TOP: Chapter 1: Professional Nursing Practice KEY: Integrated Process: Caring
BLM: Cognitive Level: Apply NOT: Multiple Choice