Comments on: The Conscience Regulation, and a Chance for Sweet, Delicious Irony

By: J

Mon, 22 Dec 2008 11:51:18 +0000

This undercuts the concept of public health. Physicians, pharmacists, nurses, are all licensed by the state. The license represents, to the public, that the individual is competent and able to offer and perform the services required in any given situation. If a licensed professional refuses to offer or perform necessary services, they should not be licensed by the state. Perhaps the Vatican should start issuing licenses. At least you would know what to expect from a religiously licensed person.

By: Dana Hunter

Dana Hunter — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 10:28:06 +0000

The idea of letting them fall on their own swords is tempting, but I have a fear that due to this rule, hospitals and such won’t fire these clowns, and thus women will suffer substandard treatment.

This is going to be a small drop in the bucket comapared to the other outrages Obama’s going to perpetrate against the frothing right. That’s a page I want to see him take from Bush’s book: bury the opposition under so much they hate that they can’t get traction on any one thing. If he’s relentless, they won’t be able to find any one single cause to unite around, and they’ll be in the same position we were – nearly helpless in the face of the onslaught.

Only this time, the things he’ll be doing will actually be beneficial and appreciated by the majority of sane Americans, so there’s the hope he won’t take the party down in flames at the end.

By: Ames

Ames — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 17:49:07 +0000

Thanks for writing Annie, and pointing out the effects on nurses too: but, I have to say, I have nothing against nurses, and respect them a great deal. I know what a difference a good nurse can make: keep speaking up for them.

By: Annie

Annie — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 16:23:17 +0000

Your initial premise isn’t quite accurate. The rule gives ALL healthcare workers – from unlicensed assistive personnel to all licensed professionals. But it’s professional nurses who I’m most concerned about because they are the people who are charged by ethics and statute to provide health teaching, coaching and mentoring to all patients based on the evidence and assessment of their health needs – not related or contingent upon the personal beliefs, ethics and values of the nurse.

Moreover, all this progressive breastbeating about the ill will of Mike Leavitt rubs me the wrong way. I’ve been writing about what he’s done to undermine the health of the citizenry, but because I write from a – gasp – nursing perspective, I’ve been ostracized, and the message totally ignored by progressives. There’s a whole lot of unacknowledged bigotry against nurses as nursing is viewed as a not quite legitimate dependent assistive arm of medicine, and it is decidedly not that.

As long as you continue to diss nurses and nursing, you get the results of a Mike Leavitt slashing and burning his way through the HHS.

You can do some catch up reading at the link at my name, and then I would recommend a trip to the white papers section of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing on professional nursing demographics and the nursing and nursing faculty shortages. Then I would click in and visit the NIH National Institute for Nursing Research so that you begin to understand just how critical it is to support and to benefit from the application of nursing research to patient care.

Because it literally saves lives and reduces or eliminates preventable suffering and harm.

Merry Channukah and Happy Solstice.