Sanctions against Pro-Life Nurses Lifted

Admitting that they needed to change their policies, officials at Nassau University Medical Center in New York lifted sanctions against eight nurses who objected to participating in an abortion for conscience reasons.

"We erred in our personnel actions, have apologized to several of the nurses and will do so with the others, as well," medical center president Arthur Gianelli told Newsday. "They did nothing wrong."

Federal law allows health care workers to refuse to participate in procedures for which they have a moral objection, as long as the patient is not in a life-threatening situation.

In this case, a pregnant woman's water broke when she was 14 weeks pregnant March 31. Told she could face a life-threatening infection later on if the pregnancy continued, the mother decided to abort the baby, Newsday reported.

Eight nurses refused to assist in the abortion for conscience reasons. Since another nurse who did not object would report to work later, and since there was no immediate danger to the woman's life, her doctor agreed to wait to abort the baby, according to Newsday. The baby was aborted April 2.

However, the director of perinatal nursing misunderstood the situation and thought the woman needed an immediate abortion, Newsday reported. She reported the nurses and the hospital began disciplinary action, including reprimands and loss of vacation leave days.

When the nurses protested the sanctions, the hospital investigated and concluded that the officials' actions were wrong.

Gianelli told Newsday that the medical center is refining its policy on conscientious objection.