International Journal of Innovative Research and Development

Abstract

Objective: This research is aimed to explore the female physicians’ resilience and factors which influence their enrollment in postgraduate residency program in Afghanistan.

Methods: This study utilized a qualitative descriptive exploratory design. A total of nine female medical doctors either enrolled or not enrolled in postgraduate residency programs were recruited from two maternity hospitals in Kabul, Afghanistan. Purposive sampling was employed to obtain a diverse sample of female physicians to explore the phenomena in depth. The data was collected through face to face semi-structured in-depth interviews. Content analysis was done to identify categories and sub-categories from participants’ narratives.

Findings: The two categories which emerged from the analysis of the participants’ narratives were sources of empowerment and socio-environmental hindrances. The first category comprises of sources of empowerment to get enrolled in post graduate residency program included factors like: opportunity to acquire new knowledge and skills, better job opportunities, popularity, elevated self-esteem, gaining autonomy, increased income in private practice and enhanced capacity to serve the people. The second category comprises of socio-environmental hindrances that include: inadequate family support, uncertainty about job opportunities, and denial of permission for night duty in conservative families, lack of female-friendly facilities in hospitals.

Conclusion: The study findings indicate that various factors at the individual, social, and institutional level that affect the enrollment of female doctors in postgraduate residency programs. By encouraging participation of women for higher medical education will promote well-being and resilience of female physicians which will eventually bring positive change in health care system of Afghanistan. 

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Abstract

Nursing is a distinct scientific professional discipline, with a specific body of knowledge obtained through research and clinical practice. Today, a PhD nursing scholar is entrusted with shaping and preserving the quality and vitality of professional nursing. Evidences that are assembled from diverse paradigms of inquiry, nursing theories and philosophies are more fitted to address the basic question of theory practice gap in nursing discipline. Moreover, today’s health and healthcare practices are multifaceted and professional nursing practice entails knowledge development to support this intricacy. Critical realism is one of the philosophical approaches that challenge such complexities and enables nurse researchers to work collaboratively across various disciplines and methods (Clark, Lissel and Davis, 2008).

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