Representatives of the HKS Faculty of Health Studies participate in round table on conscientious objection

On Saturday, May 16, 2026, a round table on conscientious objection in nursing was held in Marija Bistrica as part of Bishop Valentin Pozaić Days and the International Symposium on Conscientious Objection. The event was organized by the Croatian Catholic Medical Society (HKLD) in cooperation with the European Federation of Catholic Medical Associations (FEAMC) on the occasion of the International Day of Conscientious Objection. Representing the HKS Faculty of Health Studies at the round table were Acting Dean Assistant Professor Ivica Matić, PhD, and Midwifery student Marijana Sabolić.

The round table was opened by Associate Professor Rok Čivljak, PhD, President of HKLD and FEAMC. In his introductory remarks, Assistant Professor Matić emphasized that nurses are important partners in healthcare, advocates for patients’ rights, but also for their own rights as individuals with moral and religious convictions, which can sometimes be challenged in practice. He also highlighted an important professional advancement: the Nursing Act recognizes the right to conscientious objection, significantly facilitating the regulation of nurses’ rights. At the same time, he stressed that conscientious objection in midwifery remains an important ethical and legal issue whose normative regulation within the legislative framework still leaves room for improvement.

The discussion also included concrete examples from clinical practice with the aim of encouraging professional dialogue on this professional right. Student Marijana Sabolić shared her personal experience of confronting the issue of conscientious objection in the work of a midwife. Her testimony demonstrated how important individual awareness and mutual support among healthcare professionals are for the realization of this professional right in everyday clinical practice.