State nurses associations express concern over emergency abortion access

The American Nurses Association\California, Washington State Nurses Association, Oregon Nurses Association, Delaware Nurses Association, Montana Nurses Association, Colorado Nurses Association, Connecticut Nurses Association, Hawai’i American Nurses Association, Minnesota Organization of Registered Nurses, American Nurses Association Vermont, and American Nurses Association Ohio express profound concern over the Trump Administration’s recent rollback of federal guidance mandating hospitals to provide emergency abortion care under the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA). As many states adopt restrictions on access to abortion, this action will undermine legal protections that ensure pregnant individuals facing life-threatening emergencies, such as ectopic pregnancies or severe preeclampsia, receive necessary, stabilizing care, including abortion services. By rescinding this guidance, the Administration introduces dangerous, life-threatening ambiguity into emergency care protocols. Rescinding this federal guidance will potentially prevent many healthcare providers from providing emergent, life-saving interventions due to fear of legal repercussions, thereby placing patients’ lives at increased risk.

We stand firmly against policies that compromise nurses' ethical and professional obligations to provide compassionate, evidence-based care, which can lead to life-threatening outcomes. We urge policymakers to prioritize the patients' lives, health, and autonomy by safeguarding access to comprehensive reproductive services and ensuring that healthcare providers can deliver care without fear of legal jeopardy.