Antepartum vulnerability: Stress, coping, and a patient support group

New perspectives on vulnerability using emic and etic approaches

“…This distinction in meanings has ramifications that have been poorly articulated in nursing. Most authors, define vulnerability as liability to be hurt (see MacMullen et al 1992 , Demi & Warren 1995) which connotates susceptibility or potentiality for harm ( Phillips 1992). A few nursing scholars have defined vulnerability as a state of being threatened, a feeling or fear of harm ( Black & Weiner 1992, Rich 1992).…”

The “Virtual Focus Group”: Using the Internet to Reach Pregnant Women on Home Bed Rest

“…Women's existing support systems may be inadequate to meet their unique needs during bed rest (Maloni, 1994). Only two instances of support groups for women on bed rest in the hospital have been documented (MacMullen, Dulski, & Pappalardo, 1992;Maloni, 1998). No previous investigation has used a focus or support group with women on home bed rest.…”

The Hyperemesis Beliefs Scale (HBS): a new instrument for assessing beliefs about severe nausea and vomiting in pregnancy

“…The decision to use a retrospective (versus prospective) design was based, in part, on the consideration that the demand characteristic of this type of health care research can be more prevalent in prospective designs. For example, the stress associated with being hospitalized [18] combined with the physical discomfort of HG may cause patients to feel particularly vulnerable; patients may have neither the physical nor emotional energy needed to express negative or ambivalent thoughts about their physicians. Patients also often desire to be viewed as ''the good patient'' and find it particularly difficult to admit negative or ambivalent feelings about health care professionals who are actively attempting to ease pain and suffering.…”

“…The Impact subscale consists of six items (Questions [17][18][19][20] representing beliefs about the extent to which HG affected respondents' lives (e.g., ''I participated in fewer social activities because I had hyperemesis''). The impact component assessed the impact on women's occupational, day-to-day, social and family functioning.…”

“…The significance of the patient-physician relationship is particularly salient in the life of a pregnant woman because of a mutual concern for both mother and her unborn baby. Women experiencing pregnancy complications may be especially vulnerable, both physically and emotionally [17,18], and may, thereby, place a greater emphasis on the importance of the relationship with their physicians.…”