Dr. Hershberger and Research Team Members Drs. Driessnack & Pasch Lead Parents Disclosure Symposium at the 2020 American Society for Reproductive Medicine Conference(ASRM)
September 11, 2020
Evidence-based education and counseling, summaries of findings from children’s research, and roles of other professionals in supporting families created through gamete donation were key topics presented by members of the TELL Tool research team at the ASRM (virtual) conference. Team members were joined by world-renowned family researcher, Dr. Susan Golombok, Director, Centre for Family Research, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom to provide state-of-the science information about parental disclosure post-treatment to conference attendees.
Dr. Hershberger and Research Team Awarded National Institute of Nursing Research Grant
September 11, 2020
The National Institute of Nursing Research awarded Dr. Hershberger and team a federal grant (R34NR019278) to continue their research on the TELL Tool. This new grant will allow Dr. Hershberger and team to implement a pilot, randomized-control trial to evaluate whether the TELL Tool shows promise for helping parents tell their children about their biological origins and find out if parents like to use the tool.
Midwest Nursing Research Society’s Distinguished Service Award
April 3, 2020
The Midwest Nursing Research Society (MNRS) awarded Dr. Hershberger with the Distinguished Service Award during the 2020 virtual conference. As she received the award, MNRS President Dr. Cindy Anderson noted Dr. Hershberger’s numerous leadership roles in the Society where she implemented positive change to advance nurse scientists (e.g., Decision-Making Research Interest Group Chair, Research Interest Group Advisory Chair, Board of Directors [BOD] Member-At-Large). For example, as a member of the BOD, Dr. Hershberger served as the liaison to the Emerging Scholars Network (ESN) in their formative years where she provided key guidance to allow the ESN to flourish. She also advocated for the formation of the Midcareer Scholars Network, where she partnered with other leaders to implement programs and study how organizations and institutions can advance the research of midcareer scientists, an area where she continues to serve. Dr. Hershberger also Chaired the Distinguished Abstract Award Guidelines Committee where she brought multiple MNRS stakeholders together to successfully develop equitable and feasible guidelines for identifying meritorious abstracts. Another notable contribution was leading the Historical Task Force that revitalized and engaged members with historical expertise.
Oocyte Donation Kinship Article Published in MCN, The American Journal of Maternal Child Nursing
January 30, 2020
Drs. Hershberger, Driessnack, Kavanaugh and Klock report the views and perspectives about genetic relationships and lineages among women who were oocyte donors and parents who received donated oocytes 10 to 12 years after donors and parents underwent oocyte donation procedures to establish a pregnancy. To learn more about how the women’s and parents’ views changed and remained the same overtime, see here .
University of Illinois at Chicago Highlights Dr. Hershberger’s TELL Tool Development Research
November 19, 2019
The University of Illinois at Chicago College of Nursing provided an update to Dr.Hershberger’s and team’s recent research. In an exciting move to help modern parents that are struggling with telling their children about their conceptual beginnings, Dr.Hershberger and her team are developing the “TELL” tool or Tool to Empower ParentaL DiscLosure. UIC College of Nursing faculty members Drs. Agatha Gallo and Valerie Gruss are Co-Investigators. A link to the article is: https://nursing.uic.edu/news-stories/tool-in-development-for-families-who-use-donor-egg-sperm-or-embryo/
Challenges to Informing Children About Donor Conception Research Findings Presented in Washington, D.C.
October 26, 2019
Dr. Hershberger presented the research poster Challenges to Informing Children about Donor Conception at the American Academy of Nursing’s 2019 Transforming Health, Driving Policy Conference. Co-Investigators on the project are Drs. Driessnack, Kavanaugh, Klock, Gallo, Gruss and Pasch. While in Washington, Dr. Hershberger participated in the Academy’s Women’s Health Expert Panel.
Dr. Hershberger Elected to the American Society for Reproductive Medicine Nurses Professional Group Executive Board
October 15, 2019
Dr. Hershberger attended the American Society for Reproductive Medicine conference in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania where she was elected to the Nurses Professional Group Board of Directors. Dr. Hershberger will serve on the Board of Directors for 5 consecutive years. The American Society of Reproductive Medicine is a nationally and internationally recognised leader for multidisciplinary information, education, advocacy and standards in the field of reproductive health.
Roundtable in Philadelphia led by Dr. Hershberger while attending the American Society for Reproductive Medicine Conference
October 14, 2019
Dr. Hershberger led the Roundtable, Calling All Donor Nurse Coordinators: Communication and Education of Disclosure Strategies in the Era of 23andMe during the American Society for Reproductive Medicine Conference in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. During the Roundtable, Dr. Hershberger discussed evidence-based practice strategies with other infertility nurses and clinicians from around the country.
Dr. Hershberger and Research Team Awarded Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric, and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN) Research Grant
September 27, 2019
AWHONN announced funding for the study, Development of the TELL Tool to Aid Women and Their Partners with Disclosing Donor Conception to Their Children. AWHONN is a leader among nursing associations in the United States and represents over 350,000 nurses and health care professionals with over 22,000 active members. More information about the research award is available at: https://awhonn.org/blog/2019/10/23/awhonn-announces-recipients-of-every-woman-every-baby-research-grants/
Seoul National University in South Korea Welcomes Dr. Hershberger as a Distinguished Scholar
June 18, 2019
Dr. Hershberger traveled to Seoul National University to serve as a Distinguished Scholar. While in Seoul, Dr. Hershberger delivered several lectures, led a workshop and met with doctoral students and faculty. A highlight of the trip was experiencing first-hand the passion and vision for nursing research that permeates the College of Nursing. Other highlights included touring historical sites throughout Seoul and a personal favourite of Dr. Hershberger’s — touring the Nursing History Center located at the College of Nursing (see photo).
Results from 12-year Longitudinal Study Published in Human Fertility
February 6, 2019
Dr. Hershberger and her team found that 86% of parents who conceived via donated eggs did not disclose this information to their children 12 years post-treatment even though many parents wanted to do so during pregnancy. Children at middle childhood who were and were not aware of their conceptual origins completed conversational interviews, directed by Dr. Martha Driessnack. To read more about the study findings see the link here .
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