Feature Stories 2025: Fatima Alzyoud '22: Advancing women's healthcare equity through PhD research

Before coming to UMass Dartmouth, Fatima Alzyoud PhD '22 was an obstetric (OB) nurse in Jordan. She provided bedside care to mothers and infants while studying for her master's degree at the Jordan University of Science and Technology. However, as she worked, Alzyoud saw a concerning trend in the OB ward and beyond.

"After completing my bachelor's degree and starting to work with healthcare providers, I noticed that their interactions with patients felt off. I observed some healthcare providers communicating with patients in an unpleasant manner," she recalled.

Then, while conducting research for her master's, she discovered articles discussing obstetric bias and the mistreatment of female patients. She recognized these implicit biases from her own experiences and situations she witnessed as an OB nurse.

"Working in obstetrics can be stressful, and providers often believe they know what is best for their patients. However, I found myself questioning this assumption. How can I presume to understand a patient's body better than they do? Many patients told me they wanted to be involved more in decision-making regarding their care plan during labor and birth, but they felt disregarded by their healthcare providers.

"The entire situation didn't make sense to me. I now realize I should have advocated more fiercely for my patients."

Making the difference

However, once she began her PhD at UMass Dartmouth, Alzyoud got a chance to speak out against the mistreatment of women in healthcare and make a difference in her patients' lives. She enrolled in UMassD's Nurse Science Educator PhD program to study women's, maternal, and reproductive health and address these issues.

"I did my dissertation on the factors that provoke healthcare providers' mistreatment of patients. From there, I developed an online training course titled 'Equitable and Respectful Maternal Care Training.' It targets all healthcare providers, allowing anyone to log in and take the course. Nurses, midwives, and OBGYNs can receive training and certification.

"The literature shows that most biases are unintentional. Therefore, the goal of this program is to introduce healthcare providers to respectful maternal care and highlight practices that are considered mistreatment. It includes real patient narratives and evidence-based recommendations to raise awareness of what patients experience.

"Sometimes, we fall into certain routines when performing our jobs. It's easy to see patients as tasks rather than as human beings. This program serves as a reminder to providers that our patients are people with needs that must be listened to." she said.

Turning professional goals into reality at UMassD

Alzyoud recognized the outstanding support she received at UMass Dartmouth during her time as a PhD student. This support allowed her to pursue her passion for women's healthcare and address the inequalities that had bothered her for so long.

"When I was doing my dissertation, I was the first PhD student to get the Dean's Scholarship. I was so grateful because it was a big support," she said.

"I was really happy at UMassD and had a great experience. Although the coursework was tough, I'm glad it challenged me because I learned so much through all the hard work I did. With my professors' guidance, I published several papers, the most recent two in the Nursing Research Journal. I had some research experience from completing my master's in Jordan, but I wouldn't have the amount of knowledge that I do right now if it wasn't for UMass Dartmouth.

"Every day as a UMassD student was worth it, because it taught me everything I know now. When I look back, I think, 'Thank God I picked UMass Dartmouth.'"

Continuing her professional career

Alzyoud now works as a full-time, tenure track assistant professor at the University of Memphis. She teaches advanced evidence-based practice research, mentors PhD students, and continues to research health equity and respectful maternal care to develop her training courses.

"My number one goal is to help patients. Right now, I am working with one facility to have all their nurses take this training. If their patient satisfaction survey improves by just one or two percent, I would be over the moon."

Through her research, mentorship, and training program, Alzyoud is working to make that difference within the next generation of healthcare providers. She feels that by helping even one patient, her work has paid off. 

"Every day as a UMassD student was worth it, because it taught me everything I know now. When I look back, I think, ‘Thank God I picked UMass Dartmouth.’"