Evaluating Nurse Conscientious Objection: Application of a Novel Framework

Certain moral beliefs and/or values about what is good or harmful can cause nurses and other healthcare professionals to object to participating in some clinical actions. Such objections are also called conscientious objections. Invocation of a conscientious objection (CO) can produce complexities in patient care and health care delivery and must be mindfully evaluated for its soundness. In this manuscript, a recently developed framework, The Ethical Evaluation of a Nurse's Conscientious Objection (EENCO), is applied to expose hidden elements and nuances in a proposed or actual CO by nurses or other healthcare professionals, thereby illuminating strategies that can lessen associated harms. The EENCO is utilized to explore two types of situations where a nurse makes a CO claim. Scenario 1 involves a nurse's reluctance to follow provider medication orders intended to relieve pain and suffering at the end-of-life. In scenario 2, nurses object to a visitation policy during the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, we provide a summary of the necessary elements of institutional policy to address claims of CO using the EENCO. Drawing on the EENCO, the two scenarios were analyzed for their ethical implications. This framework contributes to the exposure, scrutiny, and clarification of potentially unappreciated aspects of CO claims. Steps for developing institutional policy are identified. Application of the EENCO guides the analysis of the two scenarios. CO claims are explored more deeply, thereby revealing implications for those involved. Additionally, the EENCO provides guidance for the development of institutional CO policies.