Vanderbilt University has revamped their Women’s Health Nurse Residency application after the Alliance Defense Fund (ADF) filed a civil rights complaint earlier this week, alleging that the application basically required applicants to state that they would assist with abortions.
ADF, a Christian legal organization, argued that the application materials were in violation of a federal law that prohibits recipients of federal funds from requiring employees to perform or assist in procedures that violate their religious beliefs or moral convictions.
According to studentfreepress.net, the application materials included a clause that stated, “If you are chosen for the Nurse Residency Program in Women’s Health track, you will be expected to care for women undergoing termination of pregnancy. It is important that you are aware of this aspect of care and give careful consideration to your ability to provide compassionate care in these situations. If you feel you cannot provide care to women during this type of event, we encourage you to apply to a different track of the Nurse Residency Program to explore opportunities that may best fit your skills and career goals.”
Vanderbilt said that the language did not mean that nurse residents would be required to assist with abortions, and cited a long-time policy that exempts employees from participating in activities that would violate their religious or ethical beliefs. University spokesman John Howser told the Tennessean that ”the letter was only meant to inform applicants that they would be expected to provide high-quality care to women receiving a variety of procedures, including abortion” but that it “did not mean to suggest that residents would be required to participate or assist in the actual procedure.”
Vanderbilt University has since re-written the application materials and no longer requires a signature of agreement before considering an application complete. The new application includes information that lets applicants know how they can file requests to be exempted from participating in abortions.
What do you think of Vanderbilt’s actions? Have you ever been asked to provide care in a morally uncomfortable situation?
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