What are the experiences and factors influencing nurses who deliver care to women undergoing medical abortion in a Scottish gynaecological ward?

Abstract

Background Abortion has been a worldwide controversial topic for some time. As abortion procedures demand more of nurses, it is important to understand whether nurses are prepared to address the emotions, conflict, psychological affect and the accompanying issues of loss and death, both within themselves and women (Yang et al. 2015). It is also essential to research nurses’ attitudes towards abortion in order to determine if these attitudes might facilitate or restrict women’s access to abortion services (Mokgethi et al. 2006). Through a literature review, the findings suggest many factors influencing the care given to women undergoing abortion, and the psychological support that is needed for these nurses to function well within this role. Aims The research question that aims to add to this existing body of research is; ‘What are the experiences and factors influencing nurses who deliver care to women undergoing medical abortion in a gynaecological ward?’. The aims of this study are: (1) To explore the experiences and factors influencing nurses delivering care to women undergoing abortion in a gynaecological ward, (2) To gain insight into participants views of the psychological support they receive and if this can be improved, (3) To make recommendations to managers to assist with workforce development. This is an interpretive phenomenological study. Data collection This study will take place in a gynaecological ward over three months, to better understand the experiences of eight nurses using semi-structured interviews. Data analysis Stages will be followed to analyse data through interpretive phenomenological analysis. Interpretations, similarities and differences will be recorded from the responses. Findings will then be looked against the Person-centred Framework, to help make any suggestions for how woman-centred care and psychological support for nurses can be enhanced. Conclusion This woman-centred research will provide an awareness of the current culture that may be influencing how care is being delivered to women undergoing abortion, further providing relevant insights and ideas to improve the delivered care. Furthermore, nurses can form a balance between their own sense of values and their professional capabilities, relating to the prerequisites section of the Person centred Framework, leading to an improved standard of woman-centred care (McCormack and McCance 2016).