Resilience, stress and burnout in student midwives

There is a lack of research on resilience in midwifery, yet this may be a factor that can help prevent burnout and intention to leave the profession.

To explore the relationship between perceived stress, resilience and burnout and the intention to leave midwifery within Midwifery students.

A Quantitative study with a cross-sectional survey design.

A London University in the UK.

150 BSc student midwives, aged between 18 and 44, studying at University participated in this study. This included 72 students in year one, 26 in year two and 52 in year three.

Participants completed the Perceived Stress Scale, the Oldenburg Burnout Inventory and the Resilience Scale-14 to examine their self-reported stress levels, burnout (emotional exhaustion and disengagement) and level of resilience. Intentions to quit the profession were also measured.

All variables were significantly correlated but in multiple regression analyses only stress predicted disengagement, and stress and year of study predicted emotional exhaustion. High stress and reduced resilience predicted intentions to quit midwifery. Resilience did not act as a moderator. Thus the findings suggest that resilience did not protect students from high levels of stress leading to burnout or wanting to quit, although resilience did help to reduce intentions to quit.

Student stress levels are not moderated by resilience and resilience played no role in reducing burnout. However, resilience may help students to persevere in the profession rather than leaving their studies. In order to minimise burnout and stress we need to consider alternative ways of enhancing the current workforce to reduce the decline in midwives entering the profession.