Case Study

Case Study

Tania is 22 years old and presents at the clinic for a pregnancy test. You find that she is pregnant. When you present the results of the pregnancy test, she begins to cry.Write down answers to each of the following discussion questions and reflect on your answers.

• How might you respond to Tania after she begins to cry?
• What is an example of an open-ended question that you could ask to see what Tania is thinking or feeling?
• When Tania states that she is unsure about what she wants to do, give an example of how to normalize or validate her uncertainty.
• Give an example of an open-ended question you could use to open up the conversation and inquire as to her thoughts about her options.

Self-Reflection

Write down answers to each of the following discussion questions and reflect on your answers.

• What if a patient presenting for abortion calls the pregnancy a “baby”?
  • What feelings come up for you?
  • What language would you use with that patient?
  • What might be some unintended, negative consequences of correcting a patient’s use of the word “baby” in favor of medical terminology such as “embryo”?
  • Why do patients use the word “baby” to refer to their pregnancies?
• How would you feel if a patient seeking an abortion wanted to keep an image from the ultrasound?
• What do you think about a patient who returns to your clinic for another abortion?
• Why do some healthcare providers see that as a “failure”?  How can it instead be seen as a success?