Making Sense of Memorable Messages About Infertility: Examining Message Valence by Theme and Sender.

Fertility problems, often called infertility, have been defined as the inability to conceive or maintain pregnancy throughout one year of trying (World Health Organization, 2020). Because fertility problems can present unique medical, emotional, relational, and identity challenges, they are often difficult to talk about, and even well-intentioned messages can be perceived negatively. This study uses Communicated Sense-Making (CSM; Kellas & Kranstuber Horstman, 2015), particularly its mechanism of memorable messages, to explore what types of support-related messages people experiencing infertility find memorable. Results from semi-structured interviews (N = 54) indicate five supra-themes of memorable messages: (a) communicating solidarity; (b) attempting to minimize participants' stress; (c) communicating investment or interest in the patient's experience; (d) sharing expertise; and (e) absolving the patient of responsibility; we identify several sub-themes within each. We also explore patterns between message types, senders, and message valence: message themes were perceived as either positive, negative, or neutral based on the combination of sender and perceived intention. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

How Individuals Use Metaphors to Negotiate Fertility Treatment Decision-Making with Their Romantic Partners.

Fertility problems, or the inability to conceive or carry a pregnancy to term for a period of over 12 months while engaging in unprotected sex, affects 12% of women and 9% of men of childbearing age. To answer calls for more research about individuals' fertility decision-making (DM) with their partners, we conducted in-depth, semi-structured interviews with 53 individuals who have experienced fertility decision-making with a romantic partner at some point in their lives. Our findings indicate at least three primary ways individuals and their partners navigated their decision-making communication in their infertility "journeys:" (1) the Driver-Navigator, (2) Driver-Passenger, and (3) Driver-Backseat Driver approaches. All decision-making communication approaches were viewed by individuals as collaborative (i.e. shared), but varied in degrees of "togetherness" (high, moderate, low) in how they communicated with each other about treatment decisions. Implications include helping couples and their clinicians to be aware of their DM approach(es) and offering alternative DM approaches based on understanding how and why certain approaches may (not) be effective in addressing goals, needs, and identities.

Telenursing and Nurse-Patient Communication Within Fertility, Inc.

The purpose of this study is to examine patient perceptions of practitioner-patient communication in reproductive endocrinology and infertility (REI) practices. During this study, we uncovered the importance of telenursing for nurse-patient communication during REI treatment. Telenursing, which is defined as the use of wireless technology for out-of-office communication, is the basis for out-of-office communication. We examined participants' conceptualization of supportive and unsupportive communication, through the lens of biomedicalization theory. After conducting 23 interviews, we conclude that telenursing is integral to providing holistic nursing care during treatment at REI practices. We discuss efficient and effective uses of telenursing and patients' positive perceptions telenursing and assess telenursing as both an embrace of and form of resistance to biomedicalization within Fertility, Inc. Theoretical and practical implications are offered, including suggestions for increasing patient access to telenursing while protecting REI nurses from burnout.