Eunice Bawafaa: Women’s experiences and perception of access to reproductive healthcare in rural Ghana

Research topic Women’s experiences and perception of access to reproductive healthcare in rural Ghana

Faculty Faculty of Applied Science

Program Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing (PhD)

Research supervisor(s)

Suzanne Campbell

Alison Phinney

Home town Wa-Upper West Region

Country Ghana

Beatrice Patriquin Memorial Scholarship in Nursing

DC & HI Knigge Scholarship in Nursing

Faculty of Applied Science Graduate

Why did you decide to pursue a graduate degree?

My short-term career goals for persuing a Ph.D are to become a leader in nurse education in developing countries, through a development of partnerships with networks with other health professionals to improve primary and community health in Sub-Saharan Africa. My long-term plans are to conduct rigorous academic research on the feasibility of partnerships for nurse training programs. I plan to teach and do research in the field of nursing to help improve patient care in SSA. With a PhD, my skills in research will be sharpened; I will ground myself and research work theoretically and acquire the necessary tools to contribute to research and healthcare policy locally and internationally. I believe that in a global world such as ours, the need for global networking and connectivity in healthcare to help improve health in poor places in the global south cannot be over-emphasized. A PhD will also equip me with the necessary skills to establish contact with global partners and dialogue with communities and populations at risk.

Why did you decide to study at UBC?

I am drawn to the University of British Columbia’s Nursing program because of Faculty’s research expertise in areas of international nurse education, primary care areas, health leadership, community health, and health equity. In particular, my research interests align well with Suzanne Campbell in areas of advancing nursing practice and education. The diverse faculty projects and interests in various issues on health will also richly enhance my learning experience in the program. Overall, I am confident that I will receive excellent training in the program to help with my career aspirations and sustain my passion in social justice activism in health education and healthcare provision.

What is it specifically, that your program offers, that attracted you?

My program offers areas of international nurse education and health equity.

What aspect of your graduate program do you enjoy the most or are looking forward to with the greatest curiosity?

I'm excited to work on primary research.

What do you see as your biggest challenge(s) in your future career?

One of the challenges I can see would be securing funding to carry out research outside of Canada.

How do you feel your program is preparing you for those challenges?

My program has a lot of support and information sessions on grant writing and applications.

What aspects of your life or career before now have best prepared you for your UBC graduate program?

I feel most prepreared for grad school due to my master's program in nursing at the University of Western Ontario.

What do you like to do for fun or relaxation?

Swimming, singing and dancing, watching adventure movies, biking and cooking.

What advice do you have for new graduate students?

Prepare well financially before arriving and get a place to stay before you arrive.

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Learn more about Eunice's research

The purpose of this study is to show how a contextualized explanation of women’s experiences and perspectives of reproductive healthcare can provide direction for nursing’s future efforts to improve access to care in rural Ghana. There is extensive literature showing that the healthcare system developed as a colonial infrastructure with European values, and women’s knowledge and experiences with reproductive and maternity care in Sub-Saharan Africa are discounted in the face of western biomedical practices and knowledge. Nurse leaders play a crucial role in this context but are constrained in their ability to create change because strict job descriptions define the scope of practice and may limit innovativeness and autonomy. With limited human resources in healthcare and declining national and global resources, understanding reproductive healthcare access as situated within broader socio-economic and cultural contexts is important and is an underexplored area of research. The objective of this study is to learn about reproductive healthcare access from rural Ghanaian women in a way that will help nurse leaders improve upon holistic woman-centered reproductive health services in rural Ghana. The research questions are: 1) What are women’s experiences and perceptions of reproductive healthcare in rural Ghana? 2) What are the key priorities for nursing to consider in its efforts to improve reproductive healthcare access in rural Ghana? A theoretical framework informed by Critical Social Theory and feminist theory will guide understanding of the complexity of factors influencing reproductive healthcare access. Methods are based on focused ethnography which will allow for exploration of this complex phenomenon using strategies to explore the social, cultural, and historical components of access to reproductive healthcare services in rural Ghana. This focused ethnographic method will follow different data collection methods; interviews and observations will address question 1 and focus groups interviews will build on the first ethnographic findings to address question 2. The sample will be a purposive sample of 15-20 rural women in the Wa-West district. Inclusion criteria for participants will be rural women (ages 16-49) who have previously sought reproductive healthcare in the Wa-West district and have been a resident for more than two years, and who can communicate in Waali, Brefor, Dagaare, or basic English. Interviews will be transcribed, translated, and analysed for themes. Outcomes: This study will generate hypotheses to guide further research and provide evidence to affect the formulation of a toolkit for the education and improvement of nurses’ role in improving reproductive health access for rural women. Ethical clearance will be sought from the ethics boards at the University of British Columbia and Adabraka-Ghana health research. Ethical considerations will comply with the requirements of the Canadian Tri-council Policy Statement (TCPS 2: CORE-2022) on conducting research on humans. No participant will be coerced to participate in the study, and they will be able to withdraw from the study at any stage of the research without consequences to their healthcare. Study findings will be made available to various stakeholders to encourage dialogue on collaborative and creative community action for change and transformation in holistic reproductive healthcare services for women. Publications in professional bulletins and academic journals will also be done with the goal of having transformations in policies that influence reproductive health access by rural Ghanaian women. Significance: This study is important because it will be the first of its kind in the district providing insight into rural women’s accessing systems in reproductive healthcare access, healthier pregnancies, deliveries, and postpartum care. The results will provide direction for important changes in the healthcare system. Particularly, the results will help nurse leaders improve upon quality of reproductive health service delivery in the rural community.

Eunice Bawafaa