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Perceived Changes to Obstetric Care and the Integration of Personal and Professional Life as a Pregnant Prenatal Genetic Counselor
Author(s) -
Rietzler Jennifer L.,
Birkeland Laura E.,
Petty Elizabeth M.
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
journal of genetic counseling
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.867
H-Index - 52
eISSN - 1573-3599
pISSN - 1059-7700
DOI - 10.1007/s10897-018-0210-3
Subject(s) - genetic counseling , pregnancy , prenatal care , medicine , family medicine , nursing , psychology , population , genetics , environmental health , biology
The impact of practicing as a prenatal genetic counselor while pregnant is unclear given the limited amount of published literature on this issue. To address this gap in knowledge, a total of 215 current and past prenatal genetic counselors provided insights regarding this personal yet professional juncture through completion of an online survey that allowed for both close‐ended and open‐ended responses. While participants agreed that experiencing pregnancy affected their perspectives and counseling in several ways, this paper focuses on one particular finding—that of the changes in their own obstetric care perceived by genetic counselors while working within the prenatal setting and being pregnant themselves. As a result of these changes, considerations about when to disclose a pregnancy to colleagues along with how to integrate personal and professional needs as a pregnant prenatal genetic counselor surfaced. Additional findings, practice implications, and research recommendations are discussed.