Introduction: Abortion is a common medical procedure, performed surgically or with the use of drugs. Nurses play a key role in providing comprehensive abortion care by being involved in various aspects of the abortion, including counselling and support for the woman, as well as participation in the procedure and the care of the woman before the procedure. Nurses often face ethical dilemmas when caring for women who choose to have an abortion, but despite their personal opposition to abortion, many nurses prioritise the well-being and welfare of their patients, respecting their duty to provide impartial care and support to the woman. In many countries, nurses have the right to refuse care on the basis of their beliefs, allowing them to avoid participating in abortions without repercussions for their employment. Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is to present nurses' views on abortion through a literature review. Methods: The descriptive method of work was used, with a review of domestic and foreign professional and scientific literature. The literature used was written in Slovenian or English and published between 2014 and 2024. The literature was searched in Mendeley, CINAHL, COBIB/COBISS, MedLine/PubMed, BNI, SciELO and LILACS databases. 11 articles were included in the final analysis. Results: Nursing students and nurses report profound ethical dilemmas arising from cultural, religious and social norms that influence their decisions to participate in abortion procedures. In some cases, there is also an internal disconnect between ethical beliefs and professional demands, leading to moral distress and emotional exhaustion. Another important issue arising from the research is that of access to and quality of abortion care, as these services are unevenly distributed in different countries. Refusal of care on the basis of conscience remains a controversial issue in nursing, as it involves a complex balancing act between the right of health professionals to freedom of action in accordance with their conscience and the right of patients to access legitimate health services. Discussion and conclusion: It is well known that nurses are faced with caring for patients in ethically challenging situations, including abortion. Nurses have diverse perspectives on abortion, with attitudes often influenced by personal values, culture and work experience. The ethical dilemmas faced by nurses often lead to moral distress and emotional exhaustion, especially when there is a mismatch between their personal beliefs and the expectations of the work environment. Despite internal conflicts, many nurses put the welfare of their patients first and strive to provide professional and impartial care. The right to refuse care on the basis of belief also plays an important role, offering protection to health professionals in certain settings, but also potentially affecting access to abortion.
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