Photo of Elizabeth Chodzaza

Elizabeth Chodzaza

PhD research student

Nursing Studies

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Outline Biography

Born and raised in Malawi, Elizabeth graduated from Kamuzu College of Nursing, one of the constituent colleges of the University of Malawi with a degree in Midwifery.  She spent her first 2 years after graduation practicing in a labour and maternity unit at one of the tertiary hospitals in Malawi. In 2004, Elizabeth joined the teaching profession at the college she trained as a midwife. She is a Senior Lecturer in Maternal and Child Health Department. After four years with the college, she went for further studies in Oslo, Norway where she studied International Community Health. Soon after her Master studies, she returned home and continued lecturing midwifery students, supervising undergraduate research studies and performing administrative work as a deputy Head for the Maternal and Child Health Department. Approximately 6 years after obtaining the Master of Philosophy in International Community Health at the University of Oslo, Elizabeth was privileged to be among the candidates who won the competitive Commonwealth Scholarship in 2012.

For the past two years Elizabeth has been studying at the University of Edinburgh, pursuing a PhD in Nursing. Of course her project focus is in Midwifery, as a safe motherhood advocate. She is studying the midwifery decision making processes during the first stage of labour in a Malawian context. The findings of this study will provide insight on how the midwives make decisions during labour and childbirth and consequently help understand the support the midwives require to make better decisions and they care for women during labour and child birth.

Elizabeth is passionate about womens' care and over the years she has developed a passionate belief that women can receive better care and avoid the unnecessary maternal and neonatal  deaths and injuries.

Project Title

UNDERSTANDING MIDWIFERY DECISION MAKING DURING THE FIRST STAGE OF LABOUR WITHIN A MALAWIAN CONTEXT

The study employed principles of ethnography and more particularly using participant observations, interviews and document analysis

The study was conducted in 2 maternity sites for a period of six months

Project details

Dr Elaine Haycock – Stuart  First Supervisor

Dr Aisha Holloway – Second Supervisor

Professor Rosemary Manda – Co-opted Supervisor