Study shines light on challenges young midwifery students face

Age-related prejudice and transport issues when meeting on-call commitments are just a couple of the challenges young midwifery students face while studying, but they soon develop strategies to build confidence and competence both at university and in the clinical environment.

These were some of the key findings from a study titled “Being a young midwifery student: A qualitative exploration”, published in the journal Midwifery.

The report stated that while the students encountered unique issues related to their age, as they progressed through the program they developed confidence in themselves and visualised themselves having long midwifery careers.

“They were strongly motivated towards providing woman-centred maternity care and considered their continuity-of-care experiences fundamental to them developing a strong sense of themselves as midwives,” the report read.

Nursing Review sat down with study lead author Jennifer Fenwick, professor of midwifery at Griffith University and clinical chair at Gold Coast University Hospital, to discuss the obstacles young undergraduate students face while at university and the impact their studies have on them personally and professionally.