Nurses' attitudes toward, perceptions of, and experiences with conscientious objection

Area of Science:

• Nursing Ethics
• Healthcare Professionalism
• Bioethics

Background:

• Conscientious objection involves refusing duties based on ethical or religious beliefs.
• In nursing, it means a nurse refusing an action due to conscience.
• This has become a contentious issue in healthcare.

Purpose of the Study:

• To understand Turkish nurses' perceptions of conscientious objection.
• To explore the influence of moral beliefs on nursing care.
• To identify experiences and issues related to conscientious objection in Turkey.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative study design.
• Data collected via semi-structured interviews with 21 nurses.
• Thematic content analysis used for data interpretation.

Main Results:

• Four themes emerged: professional values, experiences of refusal, effects of objection, and its scope.
• Nurses cited patient characteristics and personal beliefs for refusing care.
• Objection was seen as acceptable only with team agreement.

Conclusions:

• Nurses' decisions to refuse care are influenced by patient factors and personal moral/religious beliefs.
• Conscientious objection should be restricted in moral dilemmas and require healthcare team consensus.
• Further research is essential to define and scope conscientious objection in the Turkish context.