Phenomenological Study of Afghan Women Refugees: Challenges and Findings

1. The Graduate College Travel Summary Presentation Presented by Brenda Brown, DNS, RN, CNE

2. Society for Applied Anthropology (SfAA) & Council on Nursing and Anthropology (CONAA) • Conference Description • SfAA is a globally known organization under which specific anthropological entities exist – such as medical, nursing, ecological, social, and others • The applied aspect of anthropology means that research is relevant to present day populations and needs • April 3-7, 2018 at the Leows Convention Center in Philadelphia, PA • The conference allows anthropologists from many disciplines to present research which has implications for today’s global environment. • Research from one discipline usually has relevance for another • E.g. – social anthropological research about immigration policy has implications for nursing anthropology about healthcare for vulnerable populations

3. Data Collection Challenges & Findings in a Phenomenological Study of Afghan Women Refugees • My dissertation topic was a phenomenological study of the lived experience of being a refugee for Afghan women refugees in the southeastern US • I presented the challenges and some of the findings from my dissertation at the conference • Challenges included: • Participant recruitment • Language barriers • Availability of interpreters • The interview process

4. Data Collection Challenges & Findings in a Phenomenological Study of Afghan Women Refugees • Findings were determined by thematic analysis and included these themes: • Holes in my heart • Loss and grief • Movies in my mind • Reliving experiences • How will I live this life? • Coping • Dissertation committee chair: • Dr. Mary de Chesnay, PhD, RN

5. Participant Demographics (n=5)

6. Benefit of Travel • Benefits included: • Presenting information about my dissertation to the CONAA. I have been attending the conferences since 2014 and each year have focused on some aspect of the Afghan women refugees. The CONAA members enjoyed hearing about my dissertation and congratulated me for completing the DNS program. • Networking with other professionals who are interested in anthropology. I attended presentations about immigration policy, use of anthropology in higher education, immigrant and refugee issues, effects of natural disasters on vulnerable populations, global standards for nursing education, effects of colonialism on indigenous people • Enriching my professional knowledge of research topics, methodologies, challenges, and findings

7. Publication(s) • At this time I am not publishing the presentation. However, I plan to use my dissertation findings and other resources to publish in professional journals. I want to revise publications for each audience – nursing, anthropology, general population, etc. • I plan to attend future SfAA conferences. I have developed professional personal relationships with individuals who share like interests. I have also volunteered to be part of the planning committee for the CONAA sessions for the 2019 conference