N.J. Hospital Agrees Not to Force Nurses to Assist in Abortions

December 6, 2011

The University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey will hire additional staff to help perform abortions after a group of pro-life nurses said they were being forced to participate in the procedure despite religious objections, the Religion News Service reports. "We needed to find a solution that is in the best interest of the patients we serve," said UMDNJ spokesman Jeffrey Tolvin. The 12 nurses filed a lawsuit against UMDNJ in November after their objections to performing abortions were ignored by hospital officials; if upheld in court, the nurses' claims could mean the hospital violated federal law, which forbids institutions receiving federal dollars from forcing their staff members to assist in abortions.