Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38864279›Full record

ArticleJournal of advanced nursing2025

To participate or not to participate: The troublesome question of nurses' conscientious objection to abortion: A qualitative study.

Valerie Fleming, Clare Maxwell, Claire Hanlon, Yvonne Robb, Joeri Vermeulen, Beata Dobrowolska

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Article in Journal of advanced nursing, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Valerie FlemingLiverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, UK.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4672-4843
Clare MaxwellLiverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, UK.
Claire HanlonLiverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, UK.
Yvonne RobbGlasgow Caledonian University (Retired), Glasgow, UK.
Joeri VermeulenBrussels Centre for Healthcare Innovation, Brussels, Belgium.
Beata DobrowolskaMedical University of Lublin, Lublin, Poland.

Funding

Economic and Social Research Council ES/R008841/1
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

aimTo report a study investigating the implementation of the "conscience clause" by practising nurses in two National Health Service Hospital Trusts in the UK.

designA qualitative study.

methodsData were collected from 2018 to 2020 through qualitative face-to-face interviews with 20 nurses, transcribed verbatim and analyzed by thematic analysis.

resultsMajor themes were developing conscience, negotiating conscience and parameters of participation.

conclusionParticipants had varied views on conscientious objection, reflecting a continuum from unwillingness to be near anything related to abortion to being willing to participate in the whole process. Most participants framed involvement as fulfilling their "duty of care" to their patient. Direct experience of witnessing abortion overrode faith-based foundations to shape participants' beliefs as objectors or non-objectors. Non-objectors were supportive of objecting colleagues. IMPLICATIONS FOR THE PROFESSION: The complex nature of conscience as a fundamental human right is inherently related to the cultural and social context of nursing. "Employability" raised important questions over the real world of a nurse's legal right to invoke conscientious objection without consequences. IMPACT: Problem addressed Conscientious objection to abortion continues to affect nursing. Main findings There was little knowledge of the law and a reluctance to make formal objections. Where and on whom will the research have an impact It highlights the need for delineated and implemented guidelines on conscientious objection in practice for nurses. Its findings, while local, may be applicable to other abortion services. PATIENT AND PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: Representatives of each were key in our advisory group. REPORTING

methodCOREQ checklist for qualitative research.

Indexed as

Abortion, InducedAttitude of Health PersonnelConscienceNursing Staff, HospitalRefusal to TreatAdultFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedPregnancyQualitative ResearchUnited Kingdomabortionconsciencehuman rights

Identifiers

PMID38864279
PMCPMC11730416

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.