A PHENOMENOLOGICAL RESEARCH STUDY: LIVED EXPERIENCES OF YOUNG WOMEN OF QUALITY OF OBSTETRIC CARE SERVICES

Quality nursing care entails meeting client needs and expectations through conformance to relevant standards /requirements. Furthermore, it is the extent to which health services for clients increase the likelihood of desired health outcomes and are consistent with current professional knowledge. From literature reviewed and the investigator’s clinical practice experience from 1996 to 2008 it appears that there is no systematic framework currently available at city of Harare birthing centers by which to assess quality of care that women should receive during pregnancy, labor and birthing and in the postnatal period. The purpose of this study is to determine, explore, analyze and understand the lived experiences of women of childbearing age of Mabvuku /Tafara suburbs in Harare with a view to develop a model of quality obstetric care services (QOCSs). The research study will be conducted using the qualitative design and a phenomenological approach will guide the study to allow for more enriching data from stories that will be shared from the participants’ lived experiences. A semi – structured interview guide will be used to collect data from 38 participants aged 16 to 24 years and those 25 to 36 years. Participants will be constituted into four focus group discussions (FGDs). Twenty participants from the FGDs will be selected for the in-depth interviews on their extensive knowledge of the phenomenon after consenting using purposeful recruiting techniques. The data collected will be analyzed using thematic data analysis. The expected outcome is that the women could share experiences that can assist in the development of a model of care on QOCSs. It is hoped the study findings might inform the Mabvuku/Tafara obstetric platforms on the women’s experiences on QOCSs. Additionally, the study findings contribution could help in the development of a model of care.