Conscience and Conscientious Objection of Health Care Professionals Refocusing the Issue

HEC Forum ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
pp. 351-364 ◽  
Author(s):  
Natasha T. Morton ◽  
Kenneth W. Kirkwood
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Conscientious Objection

scholarly journals Liberal Democratic Institutions and the Damages of Political Corruption1

2014 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 126-145 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emanuela Ceva ◽  
Maria Paola Ferretti
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Conscientious Objection ◽  
Public Institutions ◽  
Democratic Institutions ◽  
Political Equality ◽  
Liberal Democratic

This article contributes to the debate concerning the identification of politically relevant cases of corruption in a democracy by sketching the basic traits of an original liberal theory of institutional corruption. We define this form of corruption as a deviation with respect to the role entrusted to people occupying certain institutional positions, which are crucial for the implementation of public rules, for private gain. In order to illustrate the damages that corrupt behaviour makes to liberal democratic institutions, we discuss the case of health care professionals’ abuse of their right to conscientious objection to abortion services. We show that the conscience clause can be instrumentally abused to sabotage democratically established public rules and thus exert undue private influence on their implementation. In this sense, from a liberal democratic perspective, institutional corruption is problematic because it is disruptive of such fundamental liberal ideals as the impartiality of public institutions and citizens’ political equality.

scholarly journals An ethical issue: nurses’ conscientious objection regarding induced abortion in South Korea

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Chung Mee Ko ◽  
Chin Kang Koh ◽  
Ye Sol Lee
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
South Korea ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Conscientious Objection ◽  
Constitutional Court ◽  
Moral Integrity ◽  
Perioperative Nurses ◽  
National Health Care ◽  
Nursing Leaders ◽  
Legal Reforms

Abstract Background The Constitutional Court of South Korea declared that an abortion ban was unconstitutional on April 11, 2019. The National Health Care System will provide abortion care across the country as a formal medical service. Conscientious objection is an issue raised during the construction of legal reforms. Methods One hundred sixty-seven perioperative nurses responded to the survey questionnaire. Nurses’ perception about conscientious objection, support of legislation regarding conscientious objection, and intention to object were measured. Logistic regression was used to explore the factors associated with support of the legislation and the intention to conscientiously object. Results Only 28.8% of the responding nurses were aware of health care professionals’ conscientious objection. The majority (68.7%) felt that patients’ rights should be prioritized over health care professionals’ conscientious objection. On the other hand, 45.8% supported the legislation on conscientious objection to abortion, and 42.5% indicated a willingness to refuse to participate in an abortion case if conscientious objection was permitted. Religion, awareness of conscientious objection, and prioritizing of nurses’ right to conscientious objection were significantly associated with supporting the legislation. Moreover, religion and prioritizing nurses' rights were significantly associated with the intention to conscientiously object. Conclusions This study provides information necessary for further discussion of nurses’ conscientious objection. Nursing leaders, researchers, and educators should appeal to nurses and involve them in making policies that balance a women's right to non-discrimination and to receiving appropriate care with nurses' rights to maintain their moral integrity without compromising their professional obligation.

Harm or Mere Inconvenience?

2020 ◽  
pp. 43-64
Author(s):  
Carolyn McLeod
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Reproductive Health ◽  
Empirical Evidence ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Moral Identity ◽  
Conscientious Objection ◽  
Reproductive Autonomy ◽  
Power Dynamic ◽  
Sense Of Security ◽  
Patients Experience

Commentators often point out—in discussions about conscientious objection in reproductive health care in particular—that patients are merely inconvenienced rather than harmed by conscientious refusals. Chapter 2 opposes this view. Since good empirical evidence is lacking about the effects of conscientious refusals on patients, the author has to speculate about their impact, which she does based on various factors, including the power dynamic between health care professionals and patients, and the well-documented stigma that patients experience when they request services such as abortions or emergency contraception. The author argues that in light of these factors, typical refusals in reproductive health care (those that aim to protect the life of the “unborn”) very likely cause harm. They do so by threatening the moral identity of patients (as good or fine people), their sense of security (in being able to control what happens to their body), or their reproductive autonomy.

Conscientious Objection in Reproductive Health

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Armand H. Matheny Antommaria
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Emergency Contraception ◽  
Conscientious Objection ◽  
Patient Access ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Professional Obligations ◽  
Goods And Services ◽  
Role Responsibilities

Conscientious objection in health care generally involves conflicts between health care providers asserting authority not to provide certain goods and services such as emergency contraception or abortion and patients seeking them. The conflict is may be exacerbated by objectors’ refusal to cooperate with others performing these actions. Equitable resolution of this conflict depends on the role responsibilities of health care providers and the availability of alternatives for patients. Protection of the integrity of providers should not substabtially limit patients’ access to needed goods and services, especially because of the power and knowledge differential between health care professionals and patients and the restrictions on patients obtaining goods and services through other means. Although professional obligations entail clear duties such as notification, informed consent, and emergency treatment, there is contining debate about obligations to refer and what constitutes discrimination. Organizations may make analogous claims regarding their integrity and similar systems should be developed to assure patient access.

scholarly journals Examining Researchers’ Pre-Understandings as a Part of the Reflexive Journey in Hermeneutic Research

2020 ◽  
Vol 19 ◽  
pp. 160940692098571
Author(s):  
Clare Maxwell ◽  
Beate Ramsayer ◽  
Claire Hanlon ◽  
Jane McKendrick ◽  
Valerie Fleming
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Data Collection ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Research Team ◽  
Conscientious Objection ◽  
Research Project ◽  
Sufficient Detail ◽  
German Philosopher ◽  
Hans Georg Gadamer

This article considers one of the philosophical sources of reflexivity, the concept of “pre-understandings” as envisaged by the German philosopher, Hans Georg Gadamer. There are a number of empirical research studies employing a Gadamerian approach, and while some authors may describe methods of examining pre-understandings and applying findings reflexively to hermeneutic enquiry, there remains a general lack of sufficient detail given over to the “how” in relation to this process. Furthermore, Gadamer describes how the “provoking” of one’s pre-understandings is required in order to make them realizable and this is rarely evident within authors’ work. As part of a hermeneutic research project exploring health professionals’ views of conscientious objection to abortion, we as a research team undertook a process of “provoking” our pre-understandings surrounding conscientious objection to abortion. This was undertaken by a preliminary discussion to examine our preunderstandings. A second discussion followed to examine if and how our pre-understandings had altered, and was conducted after the research team had read five transcribed interviews from a study on health care professionals’ perspectives of conscientious objection to abortion. By reviewing our pre-understandings, we were able to begin to make conscious what was unconscious, widening some of our initial views, being more definitive in others and in some cases endorsing our original pre-understandings. Using a reflexive process, we assimilated these findings with our research project and used it to inform our data collection, analysis and interpretation, demonstrating the application of rigor to our hermeneutic study.

Improving Communication Skills in Health Care

2013 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
pp. 109-117
Author(s):  
Lynda Katz Wilner ◽  
Marjorie Feinstein-Whittaker
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Patient Satisfaction ◽  
Communication Skills ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Skills Training ◽  
International Medical Graduate ◽  
Medical Graduate ◽  
Health Care Environment ◽  
Medical Interpreters ◽  
Accent Modification

Hospital reimbursements are linked to patient satisfaction surveys, which are directly related to interpersonal communication between provider and patient. In today’s health care environment, interactions are challenged by diversity — Limited English proficient (LEP) patients, medical interpreters, International Medical Graduate (IMG) physicians, nurses, and support staff. Accent modification training for health care professionals can improve patient satisfaction and reduce adverse events. Surveys were conducted with medical interpreters and trainers of medical interpreting programs to determine the existence and support for communication skills training, particularly accent modification, for interpreters and non-native English speaking medical professionals. Results of preliminary surveys suggest the need for these comprehensive services. 60.8% believed a heavy accent, poor diction, or a different dialect contributed to medical errors or miscommunication by a moderate to significant degree. Communication programs should also include cultural competency training to optimize patient care outcomes. Examples of strategies for training are included.

The Preschool Stuttering Screen for Health Care Professionals

2011 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 59-62
Author(s):  
Joseph Donaher ◽  
Christina Deery ◽  
Sarah Vogel
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Differential Diagnosis ◽  
Preschool Children ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Healthcare Professionals ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Developmental Profile

Healthcare professionals require a thorough understanding of stuttering since they frequently play an important role in the identification and differential diagnosis of stuttering for preschool children. This paper introduces The Preschool Stuttering Screen for Healthcare Professionals (PSSHP) which highlights risk factors identified in the literature as being associated with persistent stuttering. By integrating the results of the checklist with a child’s developmental profile, healthcare professionals can make better-informed, evidence-based decisions for their patients.

Percutaneous Tracheostomy: A Multidisciplinary Approach

2008 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 87-98 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vinciya Pandian ◽  
Thai Tran Nguyen ◽  
Marek Mirski ◽  
Nasir Islam Bhatti
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Quality Assurance ◽  
Data Collection ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Multidisciplinary Approach ◽  
Percutaneous Tracheostomy ◽  
Johns Hopkins Hospital ◽  
Prospective Data ◽  
Comprehensive Service ◽  
Over Time

Abstract The techniques of performing a tracheostomy has transformed over time. Percutaneous tracheostomy is gaining popularity over open tracheostomy given its advantages and as a result the number of bedside tracheostomies has increased necessitating the need for a Percutaneous Tracheostomy Program. The Percutaneous Tracheostomy Program at the Johns Hopkins Hospital is a comprehensive service that provides care to patients before, during, and after a tracheostomy with a multidisciplinary approach aimed at decreasing complications. Education is provided to patients, families, and health-care professionals who are involved in the management of a tracheostomy. Ongoing prospective data collection serves as a tool for Quality Assurance.

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