Qualitative Analysis of Women's Experiences of Education About POST-BIRTH Warning Signs.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the experiences of women in the postpartum period who received the Association of Women's Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses' "POST-BIRTH Warning Signs Save Your Life" (PBWS-SYL) educational handout at discharge. DESIGN: Qualitative content analysis. SETTING: Virtual or in-person interviews in Connecticut, New York, and Florida. PARTICIPANTS: Women (N = 41) who gave birth in the previous 12 months. METHODS: In individual audio-recorded interviews, we asked participants to describe their experiences of receiving the PBWS-SYL educational handout. We used Krippendorff's method for qualitative content analysis to cluster units within the data to identify emergent themes. RESULTS: Participants who received the handout emphasized that they recognized potential warning signs during the postpartum period. Conversely, participants who reported that the PBWS-SYL educational handout was not adequately reviewed with them during discharge expressed heightened levels of distress and doubt when they encountered concerns. Analysis of transcripts revealed six overarching themes: TheInvisible Pain of the Postpartum Period, Stronger Together, The Art of Active Listening, Lost in the Pile, Postbirth Revelations, and Optimal Discharge Education. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that the consistent and thorough application of the PBWS-SYL handout education process is a pivotal factor in safeguarding women's health after childbirth. This education is essential to equip women with the knowledge and confidence needed to detect and address any warning signs that may emerge after birth. Nurses and health care providers can empower women to recognize and address warning signs during the postpartum period, which can lead to improved health outcomes for women.

Posttraumatic growth in eating disorder recovery.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate posttraumatic growth in individuals recovering from an eating disorder. DESIGN: A convergent parallel mixed methods design was used. PARTICIPANTS: The sample consisted of 28 participants who completed the entire study and an additional 10 who completed only the quantitative portion of this mixed methods study. METHODS: The National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) provided a link to the electronic survey via their website. Participants were asked to complete the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI) and the Core Beliefs Inventory (CBI) in the quantitative strand. For the qualitative strand, participants were asked to describe any positive changes in their beliefs or life as the result of their eating disorder (ED). RESULTS: Participants reported a high amount of posttraumatic growth as indicated by their mean score on the CBI (30.39, SD 7.89) and (71.26, SD 16.58) on the PTGI. Qualitative categories included relating to others, personal strength, new possibilities, appreciation of life, and spiritual change. CONCLUSION: Participants described the transformation they experienced in the recovery process, with recovery from an eating disorder facilitating an opportunity for growth. Providing posttraumatic growth interventions may have the potential to help individuals with eating disorders find meaning in their pathway through recovery.

Infant Feeding Experiences of Women Who Recovered From Anorexia Nervosa.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the infant feeding experiences of women who recovered from anorexia nervosa (AN). DESIGN: Descriptive phenomenology. SETTING: Personal interviews. PARTICIPANTS: Sixteen women with histories of AN. METHODS: I used Colaizzi's descriptive phenomenological method. In individual audio-recorded interviews, I asked participants to describe their experiences of being mothers who recovered from AN and how this affected feeding their infants. RESULTS: The direct and indirect effects of histories of AN permeated the participants' infant feeding experiences. Participants did not anticipate the overarching challenges of infant feeding in relation to AN, and nurses and clinicians lack guidelines for screening and management. I coded and analyzed 16 transcripts that revealed five overarching themes: Unbound: My Past Does Not Have to Predict the Future, Navigating the Rollercoaster of Pregnancy and the Postpartum Body, Ripples of Trauma in Infant Feeding, The Maddening Maze: Remnants of Anorexia, and Perfectly Imperfect: Recovery and Mothering. CONCLUSION: Results elucidate the complexity of the infant feeding experiences of women who recovered from AN and the importance of screening for a history of AN. Nurses and women's health care providers should discuss the implications of such a history on prenatal planning, pregnancy, postpartum recovery, and the overall experience of infant feeding. This may help nurses and clinicians provide care for women with known histories of AN by improving the detection of possible symptoms and identifying referral sources for appropriate intervention.

Eating Disorder Recovery: A Metaethnography.

BACKGROUND: Eating disorders seriously affect both physical health and psychosocial functioning. Breaking the confines of an eating disorder requires engagement in a multifaceted recovery process. OBJECTIVE: This article provides a synthesis of 12 qualitative research studies with various eating disordered populations (anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, eating disorder not otherwise specified, and other specified feeding and eating disorders) to elucidate the recovery process from the perspective of those who have overcome the disease. METHOD: A metasynthesis of qualitative studies was conducted using Noblit and Hare's metaethnographic methodology. RESULTS: Five overarching themes emerged from the data: (1) the eating disorder as a life jacket, (2) drowning: recognizing consequences, (3) treading the surface: contemplating recovery, (4) swimming: the path toward recovery, and (5) reaching recovery: a sense of freedom. CONCLUSIONS: Eating disorder treatment often entails a cycle of transitions before recovery occurs. Synthesizing the experiences from the perspective of individuals who have overcome an eating disorder presents a unique understanding of the treatment and recovery process.

Vicarious Posttraumatic Growth in Labor and Delivery Nurses.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate vicarious posttraumatic growth in labor and delivery nurses who cared for women during traumatic births. DESIGN: A convergent parallel mixed-methods design was used. PARTICIPANTS: The sample consisted of 467 labor and delivery nurses who completed the quantitative portion and 295 (63%) who completed the qualitative portion of this mixed-methods study via the Internet. METHODS: The Association of Women's Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses sent out e-mails to members who were labor and delivery nurses with a link to the electronic survey. Labor and delivery nurses completed the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory and the Core Beliefs Inventory in the quantitative portion. For the qualitative portion, the nurses were asked to describe their experiences of any positive changes in their beliefs or life as a result of their care for women during traumatic births. RESULTS: Labor and delivery nurses who cared for women during traumatic births reported a moderate amount of vicarious posttraumatic growth as indicated by their Posttraumatic Growth Inventory scores. Appreciation of Life was the dimension of the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory that reflected the highest growth, followed by Relating to Others, Personal Strength, Spiritual Change, and New Possibilities. In the qualitative findings, Relating to Others was also the dimension of posttraumatic growth most frequently described. CONCLUSION: We compared our results with those of previous studies in which researchers assessed vicarious posttraumatic growth in clinicians, and we found that labor and delivery nurses who cared for women during traumatic births experienced growth levels that were scored between the lowest and highest reported levels of therapists and social workers. Nurses need to be aware of the potential to experience this growth despite the significant stress and unpredictability of the labor and delivery environment, which could decrease burnout and improve retention rates.