My PhD explored the experiences of the healthcare workers involved in providing abortion care following liberalisation in the Republic of Ireland. Using a mixed methods design, I found that providers' experience some challenges related to their involvement in care. These included experiences of abortion stigma, issues with the implementation and normalisation of care in their workplaces, and occasional moments of moral doubt when providing care. Despite challenges, however, all expressed pride in their work and highlighted their commitment to providing abortion care. All became involved in care because they believe that it is an important and necessary service, and said that the stories of their patients are a constant reaffirmation of this belief.
The ultimate highlights of my PhD experience were being able to submit my thesis for examination and complete my viva voce examination. They were both hugely gratifying moments and I am so proud of the work that was put into completing my thesis. Other highlights include publishing the first study from my PhD as a peer-reviewed article and getting to travel to London for my first international conference at the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists World Congress in June 2022. The part of my research that I enjoyed the most was conducting interviews with the healthcare workers that provide abortion care in Ireland.
My main piece of advice to anyone considering a PhD is to make sure that you have a genuine interest in what you are going to research. Over the process, you will spend a lot of time reading and learning about your subject area and it will be much harder to enjoy your work if you are not passionate about it. Choosing an area you're interested in will also make it easier when looking for career opportunities after the PhD. If you choose to do a PhD, remember to take your annual leave, to finish at a consistent time every evening, and to close the laptop on weekends. The PhD is a long process and I found that having time off is the best way to stop burnout.
The best part of doing my PhD in UCD was getting the opportunity to work with my supervisor, Assoc. Prof Mary Higgins, who was a phenomenal support for me throughout the process. Being in UCD also allowed me to choose from a wide variety of modules and courses that helped me with my research. I highly valued the freedom I had when choosing modules, as I was able to take courses offered by the UCD School of Psychology, where I had previously completed my undergraduate and masters degrees.
I think a link to my Orcid account would be best for this. By going onto my account, people are able to look at research that I have previously published and this will also auto-update whenever I publish something new.
Visit Brendan's Orcid profile here.