PRVO SREČANJE S PORODOM MED ŠTUDENTI BABIŠTVA: SAMOOCENA OBČUTIJ OB PRVI KLINIČNI PRAKSI V PORODNEM BLOKU

Abstract

Introduction: Feelings experienced by students when undergoing their first clinical practice marks their ability to acquire knowledge and experience, and can therefore affect their further career. The purpose of this research was to explore common feelings of midwifery students as experienced at their first clinical practice in a maternity ward. Methods: Descriptive research method based on quantitative research approach was used. An online questionnaire was used as a research tool. A purpose sample (n = 52) was used and students of Years 2, 3 and the final year of midwifery study course at the Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Ljubljana were invited to participate as respondents in the study. Basic descriptive statistics were calculated. Results: The most frequent feelings that students experienced during their first clinical practice in the delivery room were being inexperienced, the gap between theoretical and practical knowledge, and stress. Previous secondary education was most statistically significant in terms of experiencing feelings. Among the students who previously attended non-health care secondary schools there were more statistically significantly students who felt unaccepted in the a clinical environment (92 % vs. 79 % of former students of health care secondary schools). These students also more commonly perceived the gap between theory and practice (79 % vs. 64 % of former students of health care secondary schools). On the contrary, students from health care secondary schools felt more unexperienced and consequently felt greater fear of harming patients (82 % vs. 62 % of former students of non-health care secondary schools). Discussion and conclusion: If students experience feelings such as stress, fear and uncertainty during their clinical practice, this hinders their abilities to learn and build their self-esteem. It would be necessary to improve the organization of clinical practice in order to promote students' realistic expectations before they engage in clinical practice, and to introduce supervision by an individual clinical mentor and enable students to self-evaluate their own feelings after they have completed clinical practice.