This spring, nurses will be the topic of a panel on abortion care for the first time at the National Abortion Federation’s Annual Conference. “While nurses play a critical role in providing reproductive health care services and performing essential duties in abortion service delivery, their contribution to ensuring women’s access is often overlooked,” notes Joyce Cappiello, Director of AAP’s ROE Consortium and panel moderator. “The speakers on the panel will do an excellent job highlighting that contribution. They bring real diversity in both the leadership roles they play in abortion care and also the settings in which they practice.”

The four panelists bring strong expertise in abortion care. Kate Gawler, LPN, is the Director of Abortion Services, Family Planning Association of Maine in Augusta.  Christine Walcott, RN, will discuss her experience around staffing concerns at Medical Gynecological Procedure Units in Boston.  Offering a window into nurse recruitment and retention in a rural community, Charisse Tuma-Meiers, LPN, comes to the panel as the Health Center Manager of Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains, Durango. Finally, Todd Buchacker RN and Regional Director of Planned Parenthood of Greater Iowa, Des Moines, will offer his experience around the uses of values clarification” techniques. “Given the relevant and influential audience at the conference,” explains Joyce, “the panel is a great opportunity to showcase the contributions of nurses and support their continued work around abortion care.” 

“Connecting with clinicians that are already rooted in underserved areas is one of the best ways we can address rural abortion access,” notes Anne Devereux, AAP’s Colorado field organizer. With two rural Colorado trainings in the last year, Anne is fast building a network of trained clinicians. “It is important to walk potential providers through not only the skills but also the strategies to overcome barriers to practicing these skills in their community.” In addition to technical support and strategizing about possible community opposition, illustrating the need for abortion services is critical. With 1 in 3 woman obtaining an abortion by the age of 45, there is need for this kind of care is persistent. However, surveys in the fall of 2007 reaching out to rural regions in Colorado suggest that women are required to travel substantial distance to receive this care. The graph below captures abortion within range of reproductive health services, highlighting long-distances as a particular challenge for women seeking this care.

Colorado Field Consultant Anne Devereux will be presenting on AAP’s strategies around training rural clinicians in medication abortion at the upcoming Training and Access Working Group Meeting.