Faculty & Staff

Patricia E. Hershberger, PhD, APRN, BC

Assistant Professor
Department of Women, Children, and Family Health Science

NURS 840
UIC College of Nursing
845 South Damen Avenue (MC 802)
Chicago, IL 60612-7350

Phone: 312.996.1305
Email: phersh@uic.edu

Research / Discovery
Dr. Hershberger's research focuses on bridging the chasm between advances in assisted reproductive and genomic biotechnologies and understanding the effects these technologies have on the everyday lives of individuals, families, and society. For example, Dr. Hershberger's current studies examine the decision-making processes among couples who are contemplating the use of preimplantation genetic diagnosis and among young women who are diagnosed with cancer and are contemplating the use of emerging fertility preservation treatments. Dr. Hershberger also has a long standing interest in understanding the decision-making processes and needs of donor oocyte recipient women. In addition, she uses and evaluates novel recruitment and data collection methods in her research. Her research goals are to: 1) develop decision support aids to assist individuals and families with their decisions regarding whether to use novel repro-genomic biotechnologies, 2) develop and evaluate innovative recruitment and data collection measures, 3) critically evaluate health strategies and outcomes associated with evolving repro-genomic science, and 4) inform social policy.

Recent Publications

Hershberger, P.E., Kavanaugh, K., Hamilton, R., Klock, S. C., Merry, L., Olshansky, E., & Pierce, P. F. (in press). Development of an informational web site for recruiting research participants: Process, implementation, and evaluation. CIN: Computers, Informatics, Nursing.

Hershberger, P.E., Schoenfeld, C., & Tur-Kaspa, I. (2011). Unraveling preimplantation genetic diagnosis for high-risk couples: Implications for nurses at the front line of care. Nursing for Women’s Health, 15(1), 36-45.

Hershberger, P.E., & Pierce, P.F. (2010). Conceptualizing couples’ decision making in PGD: Emerging cognitive, emotional, and moral dimensions. Patient Education and Counseling, 81(1), 53-62. PMCID: PMC2888878

Gallo, A.M., Wilkie, D. Suarez, M., Labotka, R., Molokie, R., Thompson, A. Hershberger, P., & Johnson, B. (2010). Reproductive decisions in people with sickle cell disease or sickle cell trait. WJNR: Western Journal of Nursing Research. 32(8)1073-1090.

Hershberger, P.E., & Kavanaugh, K. (2008). Enhancing pregnant, donor oocyte recipient women’s health in the infertility clinic and beyond: A phenomenological investigation of caring behavior. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 17(21) 2820-2828. PMCID: PMC2825483 (PDF)

Hershberger, P.E. (2007). Pregnant, donor oocyte recipient women describe their lived experience of establishing the “family lexicon”. JOGNN: Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic, and Neonatal Nursing, 36(2), 161-167.

Hershberger, P., Klock, S.C., & Barnes, R.B. (2007). Disclosure decisions among pregnant women who received donor oocytes: A phenomenological study. Fertility and Sterility, 87(2), 288-296. PMCID: PMC1864942 (PDF)

Kavanaugh, K., & Hershberger, P. (2005). Perinatal loss in low-income African American parents: The lived experience. JOGNN: Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic, and Neonatal Nursing, 34(5), 595-605. PMCID: PMC1388191 (PDF)

Kavanaugh, K., Savage, T., Kilpatrick, S. Kimura, R., Hershberger, P. (2005). Life support decisions for extremely premature infants: Report of a pilot study. Journal of Pediatric Nursing, 20(5), 347-359.

Hershberger, P. (2004). Recipients of oocyte donation: An Integrative Review. JOGNN: Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic, and Neonatal Nursing, 33(5), 610-621.

Current Research Projects

• Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis: Couples' Decision Making at the Genetic and Reproductive Interface: A Pilot Study
• Building Interdisciplinary Research Careers in Women's Health (BIRCWH)
• Fertility Preservation Decisions Among Young Women Diagnosed with a Life Threatening Illness
• PGD: Couples' Decision Making at the Genetic and Reproductive Interface

Web Sites

• PGD: Couple's Decision Making at the Genetic and Reproductive Interface
• Fertility Preservation Decisions Among Young Women Diagnosed With a Life Threatening Illness

Teaching / Learning
Dr. Hershberger teaches the graduate course NURS 526: Nursing Inquiry. She also guest lectures on a variety of reproductive, genomic, and methodological topics.

Service / Practice
Dr. Hershberger practiced extensively in the field of women's reproductive health. Her service includes participation in local, national, and international professional organizations where she often serves as a peer reviewer for conference abstracts, presents research, or peer reviews scientific manuscripts for organizations and/or their associated journals including the American Society for Reproductive Medicine; the Association of Women's Health, Obstetric, and Neonatal Nurses; the International Institute of Qualitative Methodology; the Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis International Society; and the Society for Medical Decision Making. Dr. Hershberger has also had the honor of serving in the Midwest Nursing Research Society where she was chair of the Decision-Making Research Section and is currently past-chair of the Research Section Advisory Committee.

Personal
Dr. Hershberger enjoys spending time with her husband, two daughters, and her extended family that includes seven nieces, four nephews, three grand-nieces, and six grand-nephews.