Barriers And Enablers In Addressing Health Needs Of Minority Refugee Women In New Zealand: Nurses Perspectives

DOI: 10.5176/2315-4330_WNC18.100

Authors: Dr Jagamaya Shrestha-Ranjit, Professor Elizabeth Patterson, Professor Elizabeth Manias, Associate Professor Deborah Payne, Professor Jane Koziol-Mclain

Abstract:

A Significant Number Of People Have Been Displaced From Their Country Of Origin And Become Refugees, Mostly Due To Armed Conflicts, Political Violence And Human Rights Abuse. Refugees, Particularly Women, Have Complex Health Problems Due To Their Traumatic Background And Experience They Have Endured During Their Refugee Journey. Bhutanese Refugees Are Bhutanese Citizens Of Nepali Origin. During 1991–1992, More Than 100,000 Nepali- Bhutanese Became Refugees. After Spending More Than 18 Years In Refugee Camps In Nepal, Most Of These Refugees Have Now Been Resettled In Various Countries Including New Zealand. This Qualitative Study Aimed To Explore Health Professionals’ Perspectives Of Bhutanese Refugee Women’s Health Needs, Their Experience Of Working With This Population Group, And Their Viewpoints On Improving Health Services To Address Health Needs Of Bhutanese Refugee Women Resettled In New Zealand. This Study Involved Individual Interviews With 12 Health Service Providers Including Four General Practitioners, Five Nurses And Three Midwives. This Paper Focuses On Nurses’ Perspectives, Which Identified Common Attributes Of Bhutanese Women That Could Impact Positively Or Negatively In Addressing Their Health Needs And Articulated A Number Of Challenges And Some Enablers In Addressing These Women’s Health Needs. While This Study Was Undertaken With One Specific Group Of People, The Results Are Likely To Be Applicable To Other Minority Refugee Populations. It Is Anticipated That The Results Of This Study Will Contribute In Planning And Implementing Future Strategies To Better Address The Health Needs Of Minority Refugee Populations In New Zealand And Other Countries That Resettled Refugees. If The Refugees’ Overall Health Can Be Promoted, They Are More Likely To Become Engaged Citizens, Contributing In All Spheres Of Their New Country.

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