Attitudes about abortion among nursing students

Nurses make up the largest health care profession, and nursing students are the future providers of women's reproductive health services. At specialized abortion clinics and in gynecology and family medicine practices which see women of reproductive age, nurses provide education, counseling and post-surgical care. They also cover call for follow-up of medical abortions. Some nursing students will go on to become advanced practice nurses, a group that is slowly gaining legal approval as safe and effective providers of abortion services in the United States. This study provides an exploratory examination of attitudes about abortion, issues related to abortion and to nursing education among students at three mid-western (N=89) nursing schools. A 39-item instrument was used to collect data during class time. Analysis methods of T tests, chi squares and ANOVA were used to examine demographic differences in attitudes about abortion, the related topics of emergency contraception, euthanasia, and nursing education and intended practice areas. Results showed that students who defined themselves as Christian or Catholic (p<.001) were significantly less supportive of abortion than those who were from other religions. Students who were interested in careers in ob/gyn were also less supportive of abortion than those planning careers in other fields (p=.004).Given the frequency of abortion as a surgical procedure and the generally limited attention given to the topic in nursing curriculum, nurse educators can use the results of the study to consider integrating abortion care and values clarification into their course planning.