Title : Abortion nursing: Deepen your understanding of this critical specialty
Abstract:
Despite the fact that nearly 1 in every 4 American women have had or will experience an abortion in their lifetime, abortion care is rarely if ever discussed or taught in nursing. There is a dearth of information being shared in medical and nursing school curricula as well as in continuing professional education. As a result, most nurses are ill-prepared to care for, educate, and support women and their families experiencing one of the most commonly performed medical procedures for women in the US today. Additionally, after the overturning of Roe v Wade, many states are severely limiting or even criminalizing elective abortion, jeopardizing the health of women across the country. Abortion is an emotionally charged topic. Morality, social justice, religion, and law have transformed an intimately personal medical choice into an intensely collective debate. Misinformation is rampant, with dangerously false information being give from a variety of sources, including federally funded pregnancy crisis centers. My presentation aims to inform nurses from across all specialties about the clinical realities of working with the many patients they are likely to encounter every day. Normalizing and humanizing the abortion experience for patients, families, and staff is critical to understanding and promoting the health of families and the general population. I provide a transparent clinical perspective into the clinical and sociocultural facets of abortion services, arming nurses across all specialties with practical information as well as an exploration of personal growth to enhance their understanding of this extremely common but oftentimes taboo aspect of health care.
