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Midwifery students' well-being among undegraduates in Slovenia: A pilot study
Polona Mivšek1, Anna-Mari Äimälä2, Boštjan Žvanut3
1Faculty of Health Sciences University of Ljubljana; Midwifery department, Zdravstvena pot 5, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia.
Objectives:
Midwifery education is very demanding considering the professional competencies student midwives are required to develop. It can cause different levels of stress to students and affect their learning abilities. With the JDCS (Job Demands-Control-Social support) model adapted for educational purposes we aimed to estimate the midwifery students' coping abilities with study related stress.
Research Design:
A quantitative study was conducted using a questionnaire that evaluated perceived demand (9 items), perceived control (10 items), and perceived social support (10 items) with a 5-point Likert scale. 94 students were invited to participate in the study in autumn 2014. All necessary steps to address the ethical issues of the study were undertaken beforehand.
Findings:
One quarter of Slovenian midwifery students perceived midwifery education as too demanding, while 31% of them thought it was low-strained. 41% answered that the study motivated them. 28% believed that they lacked the possibility to make their own decisions regarding the study.
Key Conclusions:
The findings indicate that the level of Slovenian midwifery students' well-being is generally high. Using the JDCS model in midwifery education, we could evaluate students' general coping abilities with study related stress. More studies should be performed to evaluate the research tool internationally.