A DEVELOPMENTAL PROCESS OF LOSS: THE IMPACT OF KNOWN FETAL MALFORMATIONS ON PREGNANT WOMEN EVALUATED BY A FETAL MEDICINE AND SURGERY PROGRAM (GENETIC COUNSELING).
Contributors: University of Colorado Health Sciences Center.
Published: 1984
Number of pages: 317
Subjects: Health Sciences, Nursing.
Description: The purpose of this investigation was to generate substantive theory grounded, in the responses of women evaluated by a fetal medicine and surgery program regarding the impact of having known during pregnancy that the fetus they carried was malformed. The qualitative research methodology of grounded theory was used to analyze the experiences of a convenience sample of 20 women who responded to a semi-structured, open-ended interview. A trend study design was employed. Five of the women were pregnant and were interviewed at either two or six weeks following the evaluation. The remaining 15 women had delivered at various times prior to the interview. The infants of these 15 women all died shortly before or after delivery.

A conceptual model entitled a developmental process of loss was generated from the data. The model consisted of four dimensions: (1) a major theme or "period of" that was interpreted as an expression of the informants' experiences; (2) an action word or descriptor of the types of behaviors described during the period; (3) a "human response curve," that graphically depicted informant's responses as they negotiated the theme; and (4) a time line that illustrated the approximate time periods that each informant spent negotiating any one of the themes. The seven themes derived were the Period of Uncertainty; the Period of Verification; the Period of Preparation; the Period of Reconfirmation; the Period of Reparation; the Period of Resiliency; and the Experience in Perspective.

The significance of the study findings for nursing are: (1) the model provides a framework for understanding the loss process women experience when evaluated during pregnancy by a fetal medicine and surgery program, (2) the evaluation process including genetic counseling has a positive impact, and (3) the model provides insights for clinical nursing for the identification and treatment of actual and potential health problems regarding the phenomenon of known fetal malformations during pregnancy.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 45-09, Section: B, page: 2870.

Thesis (PH.D.)--UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO HEALTH SCIENCES CENTER, 1984.

School code: 0831.