Work Conditions of the Mortuary Attendant in Ghana: A Qualitative Study

Mortuary workers play a crucial role in healthcare delivery by providing after-life care for dead bodies. Mortuary attendants ensure that corpses are well preserved before handing them over to bereaved families for burial. However, the work of mortuary attendants is a neglected area in most low- and...

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Autores principales: Anita Fafa Dartey PhD, M Nursing, OHNP, RN, John Kwasi Akortiakumah MPhil, BSc, RN, Perfert Titiati MPH, BPH, RPN, RM, RN, Ebenezer Kwao BSc, RN, Felix Kwasi Nyande PhD, MPhil, RN
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Publicado: SAGE Publishing 2021
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Acceso en línea:https://doaj.org/article/91bbdd8d9ff044219dcbc1ea8f112c92
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spelling oai:doaj.org-article:91bbdd8d9ff044219dcbc1ea8f112c922021-12-01T22:34:23ZWork Conditions of the Mortuary Attendant in Ghana: A Qualitative Study0046-95801945-724310.1177/00469580211060263https://doaj.org/article/91bbdd8d9ff044219dcbc1ea8f112c922021-11-01T00:00:00Zhttps://doi.org/10.1177/00469580211060263https://doaj.org/toc/0046-9580https://doaj.org/toc/1945-7243Mortuary workers play a crucial role in healthcare delivery by providing after-life care for dead bodies. Mortuary attendants ensure that corpses are well preserved before handing them over to bereaved families for burial. However, the work of mortuary attendants is a neglected area in most low- and middle-income countries, Ghana inclusive.This study explored the nature, duties and job requirements of mortuary attendants in three regions of Ghana. A descriptive exploratory study that utilised a qualitative approach was conducted. Nineteen mortuary attendants who worked in nine mortuary facilities in three regions were purposively selected and interviewed for the study. Semi-structured interviews were audio-recorded using an interview guide. Verbatim transcription of conversations was done, data were manually coded and analysed thematically. Scientific trustworthiness was ensured through applications of the philosophies of credibility, dependability, confirmability and transferability. Three themes were identified: nature of the work of mortuary attendants; qualification and training requirements; and working conditions of mortuary attendants. The emerged sub-themes revealed the critical role played by attendants in preserving the bodies for the families; the majority of attendants got their skills through apprenticeship and challenging work conditions. The lack of structured formal education among mortuary attendants exposes them to occupational hazards and leads to poor service delivery. It is recommended that a formal programme for training, certification and recruitment of mortuary attendants be instituted to equip them with the needed knowledge and skill to enable them to meet the demands of their work.Anita Fafa Dartey PhD, M Nursing, OHNP, RNJohn Kwasi Akortiakumah MPhil, BSc, RNPerfert Titiati MPH, BPH, RPN, RM, RNEbenezer Kwao BSc, RNFelix Kwasi Nyande PhD, MPhil, RNSAGE PublishingarticlePublic aspects of medicineRA1-1270ENInquiry: The Journal of Health Care Organization, Provision, and Financing, Vol 58 (2021)
institution DOAJ
collection DOAJ
language EN
topic Public aspects of medicine
RA1-1270
spellingShingle Public aspects of medicine
RA1-1270
Anita Fafa Dartey PhD, M Nursing, OHNP, RN
John Kwasi Akortiakumah MPhil, BSc, RN
Perfert Titiati MPH, BPH, RPN, RM, RN
Ebenezer Kwao BSc, RN
Felix Kwasi Nyande PhD, MPhil, RN
Work Conditions of the Mortuary Attendant in Ghana: A Qualitative Study
description Mortuary workers play a crucial role in healthcare delivery by providing after-life care for dead bodies. Mortuary attendants ensure that corpses are well preserved before handing them over to bereaved families for burial. However, the work of mortuary attendants is a neglected area in most low- and middle-income countries, Ghana inclusive.This study explored the nature, duties and job requirements of mortuary attendants in three regions of Ghana. A descriptive exploratory study that utilised a qualitative approach was conducted. Nineteen mortuary attendants who worked in nine mortuary facilities in three regions were purposively selected and interviewed for the study. Semi-structured interviews were audio-recorded using an interview guide. Verbatim transcription of conversations was done, data were manually coded and analysed thematically. Scientific trustworthiness was ensured through applications of the philosophies of credibility, dependability, confirmability and transferability. Three themes were identified: nature of the work of mortuary attendants; qualification and training requirements; and working conditions of mortuary attendants. The emerged sub-themes revealed the critical role played by attendants in preserving the bodies for the families; the majority of attendants got their skills through apprenticeship and challenging work conditions. The lack of structured formal education among mortuary attendants exposes them to occupational hazards and leads to poor service delivery. It is recommended that a formal programme for training, certification and recruitment of mortuary attendants be instituted to equip them with the needed knowledge and skill to enable them to meet the demands of their work.
format article
author Anita Fafa Dartey PhD, M Nursing, OHNP, RN
John Kwasi Akortiakumah MPhil, BSc, RN
Perfert Titiati MPH, BPH, RPN, RM, RN
Ebenezer Kwao BSc, RN
Felix Kwasi Nyande PhD, MPhil, RN
author_facet Anita Fafa Dartey PhD, M Nursing, OHNP, RN
John Kwasi Akortiakumah MPhil, BSc, RN
Perfert Titiati MPH, BPH, RPN, RM, RN
Ebenezer Kwao BSc, RN
Felix Kwasi Nyande PhD, MPhil, RN
author_sort Anita Fafa Dartey PhD, M Nursing, OHNP, RN
title Work Conditions of the Mortuary Attendant in Ghana: A Qualitative Study
title_short Work Conditions of the Mortuary Attendant in Ghana: A Qualitative Study
title_full Work Conditions of the Mortuary Attendant in Ghana: A Qualitative Study
title_fullStr Work Conditions of the Mortuary Attendant in Ghana: A Qualitative Study
title_full_unstemmed Work Conditions of the Mortuary Attendant in Ghana: A Qualitative Study
title_sort work conditions of the mortuary attendant in ghana: a qualitative study
publisher SAGE Publishing
publishDate 2021
url https://doaj.org/article/91bbdd8d9ff044219dcbc1ea8f112c92
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