Nicole Defenbaugh (PhD) is the founder and owner of ND Communication Consulting LLC. Before starting her own consulting company, she was the Director of Education for the Department of Family Medicine at Lehigh Valley Health Network (Allentown, PA, USA). She was also an Associate Professor for the University of South Florida - Morsani College of Medicine. Before joining LVHN she was a professor of Communication Studies for 13 years with an emphasis in health communication, narrative, autoethnography, and performance.

Dr. Defenbaugh was honored for her teaching and service with the Outstanding Specialist Educator Award and Service Award at LVHN. Her research focuses on narrative medicine in chronic illness and autoethnographic writing about the physician-patient relationship. Her book, Dirty Tale: A Narrative Journey of the IBD Body examines the embodied experiences of living with ulcerative colitis and the institutional practice of diagnosing and labeling illness.

Her recent publications include the first autoethnographic study to be published in the Annals of Family Medicine, book chapters on gender and invisible illness and navigating digitized healthcare. She has an article on interprofessional education in nursing using standardized patients, a resident curriculum resource on cross-cultural communication and a grant submission on the use of the Hello game to engage patients in advance care planning conversations.

Dr. Defenbaugh has been awarded the Norman K. Denzin Qualitative Research Award and the Ellis-Bochner Autoethnography and Personal Narrative Research Award. She has publications in the Annals of Family Medicine, Journal of Graduate Medical Education, Qualitative Inquiry, Health Communication, and International Review of Qualitative Research, among others. She volunteers her time playing the harp and is an avid ballroom dancer.

Presenting at the Academy of Communication in Healthcare (ACH) Research Forum in Tampa, FL
June 2018

Society for Teachers of Family Medicine Conference workshop entitled "Sculpting Pain" in Washington DC
May 2018

Health Stories: Interviews Inside
the Healthcare System

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	In this podcast we invite you to listen in on the real-life stories of clinicians and patients. In these interviews, our guests reflect on their experiences and share with all of us their insights and suggestions for how to navigate our complex U.S. healthcare system
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Defenbaugh, N. (2017).

Temporal reflections of image discrepancy: An autoethnography of UC remission.

In K. Williams (Ed.), Reifying women's experiences with invisible illness: Illusions, delusions, reality.

Bryant, V. & Defenbaugh, N. (2017).

Blood pressure doesn't lie: A prison nurse and the patient she'll never forget.

In A. duPre & E. B. Ray (Eds.), Real-life scenarios: A case study perspective on health communication. New York: Oxford University Press.

"Elements of power, choice, and quality of life arise in a clinical relationship between an inmate and a nurse concerned about his health.
The case brings to light issues of cultural awareness, empathy, narrative medicine, and patient-centered care."

Frankhouser, T. & Defenbaugh, N. (2017).

Physician, mother, patient: An autoethnographic examination of postpartum depression.

Annals of Family Medicine.

Community presentations on improving patient-clinician conversations

Overall Audience Feedback Score: 4.6 / 5.0

Spotlight Article on Nicole's work in Advanced Care Planning

Revealing a hidden, chronic illness is a risky and vulnerable act. Ill individuals often remain socially stigmatized, and those who live with invisible illness must legitimize their ill identity since they infrequently look sick. For individuals with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), disclosing one's illness carries unique challenges because of the grotesque and taboo nature of the disease. To this end, the bathroom or 'water closet' is more than a functional place, it is a space to hide one's ill identity. For many, the point of departure from safety to vulnerability occurs when there is a desire to disclose. In this descriptive essay, revelation of an invisible illness, IBD, and disclosure to others are explored as embodied and situated communication. Through performance narrative, the author shares stories of her disclosive moments to inform others about IBD, explores how the water closet can be a metaphoric boundary, examines various strategies used in revealing hidden illness, and offers possible implications for IBD disclosure to the self and relationships with others.

Dirty Tale: A Narrative Journey of the IBD Body

Having a chronic illness is a daily journey. You never know where it will lead you; at least that is what the author discovered eight years ao when she was disgnosed with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). With each page turn the reader journeys along with the author down the road of illness identity as she learns her patient role in health care, investigates the wonders of alternative medicine, interviews others with IBD, and puts her sick body on stage. You won't soon forget the experiences she's encountered without reflecting on your own body image and self-identity.

Reiki

Reiki is a Japanese technique for stress reduction and relaxation that also promotes healing. It is administered by "laying on hands" and is based on the idea that an unseen "life force energy" flows through us and is what causes us to be alive. If one's "life force energy" is low, then we are more likely to get sick or feel stress, and if it is high, we are more capable of being happy and healthy.

Vibroacoustic Harp Therapy

Vibroacoustic Harp Therapy (VAHT) is performed by delivering amplified live harp music through a sound table, chair or pad. It is often described as a musical massage. Most clients report deep relaxation, pain/tension relief, increased body awareness, and positive imagery.

I have been a certified vibroacoustic harp therapist since November 2014.

Health Stories: Interviews Inside the Healthcare System

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