Personal Preference

Determining if it’s a Personal Conscience Objection

  • Ask the following questions:
    • Is the requested treatment/procedure potentially harmful to the patient or others?
      • If the treatment/procedure is potentially harmful to the patient or others (e.g. abortion/pregnancy termination), it could be an example of personal conscience or professional integrity (depending on whether the cause of the objection relates to professional obligations vs. personal religious or moral beliefs. If the treatment/procedure to which the provider objects is not harmful, it is an example of personal preference).
    • Would you be able to live with yourself if you performed the procedure/treatment?
      • If the answer is NO, you would not be able to live with yourself, then this is an example of personal conscience. These treatments/procedures violate the provider’s deeply held moral or religious beliefs.
    • Does the procedure/treatment in question involve you in a matter of life and death?
      • If the answer is YES, then it is either an example of personal conscience or professional integrity. Determining which one relates back to the cause of the objection.