APPLYING THE WAYS OF KNOWING TO PRECONCEPTION HEALTH AND FERTILITY

During Week 6, I and some nursing colleagues presented on the topic; preconception health and fertility. This was a very interesting subject for me as I knew very little regarding maternal health, even though it is something that applies to my life currently. During this section of the podcast, I want to discuss how the ways of knowing can be applied to the issue of preconception health and fertility and I hope it demonstrates how the ways of knowing can be embedded in all situations of care. Empirical inquiry guides our practice through the use of scientific evidence. For instance, research suggests that after the age of 35, fertility begins to decline and the risk for complications during pregnancy increases. With this knowledge, we can educate our patients about the risks and the barriers they may be faced with. In terms of ethical ways of knowing, here we have to consider our values and how we enact them on others. When addressing the decision of abortion we are faced with a war of pro-lifers and pro-choicers (Svenaeus , 2018). In order to address this situation appropriately, we must be aware of our own personal values, the values of the patient, and the guidelines we are expected to follow (Svenaeus, 2018). Aesthetically, we must create a “beautiful” experience for our patient’s throughout their care. For example, the idea of conceiving life is fascinating on its own, however, some cultural minorities face discrepancies when preparing for this life-altering experience (Terrell et al., 2021). As nurses, we must consider how these individuals are unique and which strategies we can implement in order to reach their desired outcomes (Terrell et al., 2021). Finally, the socio-political ways of knowing allows nurses to be aware of power dynamics and their influence on a situation. When dealing with mothers of low socioeconomic status, they may be predisposed to a higher rate of tobacco or alcohol abuse or may live in an environment that is not safe for them and the baby (Terrell et al., 2021). We must not let these challenges get in the way of the nursing care they receive and rather see them as issues that need to be resolved. By applying the ways of knowing, we are using relational inquiry as we must pay attention to ourselves, others, and the context all at once.

References

Svenaeus, F. (2018). Phenomenology of pregnancy and the ethics of abortion. Medicine, Health Care, and Philosophy, 21(1), 77–87. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11019-017-9786-x

Terrell, R., Soucy, N., Chedid, R., & Phillips, K. (2021). Ottawa prenatal educator e-survey: Experiences and perceptions of public health nurses and allied childbirth educators. J Edu Health Promot, 10(161). https://doi.org/10.4103/jehp.jehp_734_20

NURS 2001 Presentation.pptx

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