Looking at pregnancy terminations from the opposite side: the perspective of healthcare professionals

Abstract

Abstract Background It is already known that the woman and the family can be affected in various ways psychologically and physiologically during the termination of pregnancy, but the healthcare professionals who manage the process can also be affected while being effective on the process. We aimed to determine the opinions and experiences of the healthcare professionals regarding pregnancy terminations with this qualitative study. Methods A hermeneutic phenomenological design was used in this qualitative study. Data collection were obtained through face-to-face and individual in-depth interviews using a semi-structured interview guide between December 2018 - April 2019. The sample of the study consisted of 26 participants from different professions who have encountered pregnancy termination process. Results Data were grouped under two themes with seven three sub-themes. First theme about how health professionals were affected by the process has been defined as ''How are healthcare professionals affected during the termination process?''. Second theme about how they acted in the process has been defined as ''What do healthcare professionals do in the termination process?''. Conclusions As a result of our study, it was determined that health professionals working on pregnancy termination were adversely affected and had problems while giving care. In order to prevent adverse effects on healthcare professionals, some facilitator methods are needed to strengthen prevention strategies and facilitate the process for them.