Freedom of Conscience
Canadian nurses want the right to choose not to perform abortions
By Mary-Lynn McPherson

The need for nursing is universal. Inherent in nursing is respect for life, dignity and rights of man. It is unrestricted by considerations of nationality, race, creed, colour, age, sex, politics or social status."

International Council of Nurses. 1973, ICN Code of Nurses: ethical concepts applied to nursing. Geneva: Imp Populaires

Canadian Nurses for Life is an organization of nurses dedicated to the defence of human life from conception to natural death. On occasion, people look puzzled upon hearing of this group. The words nurse and pro-life would appear to be synonymous. Today, unfortunately, the reality of nursing is a reflection of the rest of society.

Generally speaking, nurses are employees of a hospital. They may be hired to work in a particular area (medical floor, surgery, etc.), but nurses have general training that would allow them to work in most areas of the hospital. When hospitals are short-staffed due to illness or vacation, nurses are often sent to work in areas other than their regularly assigned floor. When it comes right down to it, the hospital has the authority to assign a nurse to any area where it is felt the nurse may be needed. Some hospitals require nurses to agree to "perform any health service" as a requirement of hiring. Across Canada, nurses do not have the legal right to refuse to participate in procedures to which they are morally or religiously opposed. Some have been disciplined, and even fired, for discussing options to abortion with patients.

Helen* is a pro-life nurse and mother of four who took several years off to care for her children while they were very young. Now that her children are a little older, she said she would like to return to work in a hospital setting. The only hospital in her rural area performs abortions. On return to work, she must start as a "casual"nurse, and must agree to work in any area of the hospital-which could include assisting with abortions. She chose not to return to work.

Alice is a Christian nurse whose specialty is obstetrics-delivering babies. She loved her work and receives a tremendous degree of fulfilment from seeing another baby safely delivered into the arms of happy parents. Alice's hospital moved its abortion services to the Obstetric department. The same nurses who deliver healthy babies in one room, would have no choice but to participate in killing healthy, unwanted babies in another room just down the corridor. The stress became intense. Every day when Alice went in to work she did not know if she would be pulled to work in the abortion service. If someone was sick or on vacation, she could be assigned to the abortion service. Alice had managed to avoid assisting with the abortions by trading shifts with one of the other RNs who would accommodate her, but this became harder and harder to accomplish. Even "pro-choice" nurses do not like to assist at abortions, and her colleagues began to complain they were tired of doing all the "dirty work." They were upset and said they felt she was "too good" to do the abortions. Eventually, the situation became so tense and fraught with frustration that Alice quit. She was young and could find another job.

Joyce was a nurse in much the same situation as Alice, but her personal circumstances were very different. She was the sole supporter of her family because her husband had lost his job. They had two young children, and she felt she could not afford to quit. Joyce had few friends outside the hospital, and the verbal harassment and condemnation she received every day at work was deeply hurtful. Finally, Joyce succumbed to the pressure and agreed to be "a team player." She assisted with the abortions.

In 1994 following hospital restructuring, Markham Stouffville Hospital began performing abortions next to delivery rooms. Management told the nurses to work it out among themselves as to who would work where. Eight Christian Obstetrical nurses flatly refused to assist with the abortions, nor would they agree to be transferred to other departments. The Ontario College of Nurses would not intervene. The nurses appealed to the Ontario Human Rights Commission. During the five long years before the case was settled these nurses suffered acute and bitter harassment and discrimination. Some left to find jobs elsewhere. A major demand of the nurses had been a "conscience" clause to protect other nurses who would follow after them. In May 1999, the hospital came to an agreement with the five remaining nurses (one had died) only hours before the case was to be heard before the Human Rights Tribunal. As part of the settlement, Markham Stouffville Hospital agreed to a policy that will allow nurses to opt out of abortions.

Nurses are not the only health care professionals who struggle daily with the ethical fall-out of liberal politics and philosophy. Pharmacists and doctors are also constantly faced with demands to provide abortion services or abortion-inducing medications, and threatened with firing or professional censures for refusing to do so. Pro-life students who enter health care programs in many Canadian universities and colleges are often subtly discriminated against for their beliefs, and as teachers have a great amount of leeway in deciding who will pass or fail, students whose views are seen as intolerant or rigid are relatively easily gotten rid of.

Canadian Nurses for Life has been working to obtain "conscience clause" protection on a federal level for over fifteen years. Several bills have been introduced in the Senate that eventually died on the table without being debated. Senator Stanley Haidasz and Senator Raymond Perrault each worked diligently on bills they submitted before their respective retirements from the Senate. Maurice Vellacott (CA Saskatoon-Wanaskewan) has submitted a private member's "conscience protection" bill in the last two sessions of parliament. Although his bills were deemed non-votable, he is continuing his attempts to reverse that. Conscience legislation does exist in many European countries and in 48 states in the U.S.A.

The greatest obstacle to obtaining "conscience" legislation is the lack of knowledge on the part of Members of Parliament in regards to pro-life issues. Many MPs are sadly lacking in even the most basic knowledge of pro-life concerns. Most of the information they have received has come via a very pro-abortion media. It also appears that some secretaries decide what information their MP will receive, and most likely a certain amount of pro-life literature is thrown in the garbage before the MP sees it.

It is the responsibility and duty of all pro-life people to help educate their Members of Parliament. This can be much easier than anyone would expect. Letters and phone calls to one's elected government officials are very effective methods of getting the message across. Making a friendly visit to your MP in his constituency office with a few pieces of pro-life educational material is a positive way to state your position. Most politicians are very interested in their electors' thoughts on issues, and many of them are literally unaware of the situations that Canadian health-care workers can face on a daily basis.

Federal conscience clause legislation is desperately needed to protect all health-care workers. Appeals to humans rights commissions are extremely expensive and time consuming . What will happen to nurses as the cost of caring for the disabled, the elderly, and the very ill increases, and a euthanasia ethic comes to the fore? How long will it be before Canadian hospitals will only employ health care workers who will participate in the killing of their patients?

Mary-Lynn McPherson RegN CPMHN(C)

National Co-ordinator

Canadian Nurses for Life

* Names of nurses appearing in this article have been changed to protect their privacy