Browsing by Author "Hall, Jenny"
Now showing 1 - 3 of 3
Results Per Page
Sort Options
- Spiritual aspects of living with infertility: a synthesis of qualitative studiesPublication . Romeiro, Joana; Caldeira, Sílvia; Brady, Vivienne; Timmins, Fiona; Hall, JennyAims and objectives: To identify the spiritual aspects of patients experiencing infertility and seek a deeper and broader meaning of the involuntary childlessness experience. Background: Infertility can be the cause for a spiritual crisis among some couples. Those who endure this involuntary childlessness condition frequently experience contradictory feelings and needs. In this context, core aspects of spirituality such as meaning and purpose in life are often questioned. Design: A review and synthesis of qualitative empirical research was undertaken to seek a deeper understanding of the spiritual aspects of patients’ experiences of infertility. Methods: An aggregative synthesis was conducted according to Saini and Shlonsky (Systematic synthesis of qualitative research, 2012, Oxford University Press, Oxford), using thematic analysis. Results: A total of 26 studies included female, male and couples. Settings revealed interviewees in different infertility phases such as diagnosis, assisted reproductive technologies and following fertility treatments. Two main themes emerged: spiritual needs and spirituality as a coping resource for infertility. Conclusion: Infertility affects the holistic existence of the couples. This adversity awakens spiritual needs along with unmet needs of parenthood. Coping strategies incorporating spirituality can enhance the ability of couples to overcome childlessness and suffering. Relevance to clinical practice: Infertile couples’ experiences of infertility may offer an opportunity for spiritual care particularly related to the assessment of spiritual needs and the promotion of spiritual coping strategies. Effective holistic care should support couples in overcoming and finding meaning in this life and health condition.
- The resilience scale in Portuguese adults under assisted reproductive techniquesPublication . Romeiro, Joana; Nogueira, Paulo; Hall, Jenny; Caldeira, SílviaAssessing resilience response to an adverse event such as infertility requires measuring the same construct adequately and accurately by nurses. The objective of this study was to explore the validity and reliability of the Portuguese version of the Resilience Scale for adults. A cross-sectional and methodological design was used, and factor analyses were performed. The sample comprised 140 adult Portuguese individuals under fertility treatment recruited from health-related websites. The findings yielded a bad fit of the hypothesized Resilience Scale structure with the observed data. Instead, a 21-item tool with a four-factor structure revealed high internal consistency (0.94). The tool correlated positively and significantly to the Portuguese version of the Spiritual Well-Being Questionnaire and was negatively associated and lacked correlation with the Fertility Adjustment Scale. The 21-item Resilience Scale is a reliable tool suitable to measure resilience in Portuguese adults under assisted reproductive techniques. This tool offers the opportunity of early recognition by health professionals aiming to enhance patients’ coping skills effectively and promote positive psychological and mental health outcomes.
- The spiritual journey of infertile couples: discussing the opportunity for spiritual carePublication . Romeiro, Joana; Caldeira, Sílvia; Brady, Vivienne; Hall, Jenny; Timmins, FionaInfertility is a worldwide public health issue that exerts an in-depth impact on couples, families, communities and the individual. This reproductive health condition, along with fertility treatments, often forces couples to question their purpose and meaning in life, and to begin a spiritual journey. Nursing and midwifery literature describes the care of those living with infertility, but often lacks a clear approach of the spiritual dimension, and diagnosis and interventions may not be effectively addressed. In this paper, we present a discussion about spirituality and the assessment of spiritual needs such as hope, beliefs, meaning and satisfaction in life. In addition, spiritual needs are defined, for both nurses and midwives, and spiritual interventions are proposed for promoting couples’ resilience and spiritual well-being. Spirituality should be considered from the beginning to the end of life. It is necessary to translate this into the development and implementation of both specific policies regarding a spiritual approach and advanced education and training programs for nurses and midwives who care for infertile couples.