Clinicians in Abortion Care (CIAC)

Clinicians in Abortion Care (CIAC) is a membership group sponsored by NAF representing certified nurse-midwives (CNMs), nurse practitioners (NPs), physician assistants (PAs), registered nurses (RNs), and students of those professions, working to increase access to comprehensive reproductive health and abortion care.

CIAC Members have full NAF member benefits, including discounted registration to NAF meetings and access to NAF’s online learning system as well as resources crafted specifically for CIAC members.

CIAC is led by an elected Advisory Committee made up of member experts from each of the disciplines represented by our membership. The Advisory Committee sets CIAC goals and helps to identify the areas in which CIAC works.

CIAC Goals

1. Support the involvement of nurse practitioners, certified nurse midwives, physician assistants, and nurses in comprehensive reproductive health care.

2. Increase education and training for clinicians in areas of reproductive choice and health.

3. Advocate for the removal of restrictions for nurse practitioners, certified nurse-midwives, and physician assistants in providing a full range of abortion services.

4. Support inter-professional team-based education, training, and practice in abortion care.

CIAC is particularly dedicated to the third goal of removing scope of practice restrictions and supporting NPs, CNMs, and PAs to provide care to the full extent of their training and ability.

If you have a question about scope of practice in your state as it relates to abortion care, please email membership@prochoice.org or check out the Abortion Provider Toolkit, a professional guide that provides evidence for abortion care as a natural extension of the work of NPs, PAs, and midwives. This toolkit includes a map of scope of practice rules around the country.

Abortion Provider Toolkit

This Toolkit helps clinicians compile evidence to support the integration of early abortion care as an essential part of patients’ health care services.

The Abortion Provider Toolkit:

Provides evidence for abortion care as a natural extension of the work of Nurse Practitioners (NPs), midwives, and Physician Assistants (PAs) who care for patients at risk for or experiencing an unintended pregnancy.
Guides NPs, midwives, and PAs in the development of a professional portfolio that documents their education, knowledge, and training and the clinical and professional standards used to provide safe care, including both basic competencies and abortion care.
Includes essential information and statistics about abortion care and access, professional standards and competencies, and the roles of state and national professional organizations and state licensing boards.

Access the Toolkit