Turkish Midwifery Students' Fear of Delivery Process

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Midwifery Practice
• Clinical Psychology

Background:

• Fear significantly impacts decision-making in healthcare professionals, particularly midwives.
• Student midwives' fear can lead to suboptimal choices in normal vaginal delivery and cesarean delivery management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify specific areas within the delivery process that cause the most fear among midwifery students.
• To assess the self-perceived sufficiency of students in various aspects of obstetric care.

Main Methods:

• A descriptive, cross-sectional study involving 732 third and fourth-year midwifery students.
• Data collected via a "Midwives' Fear of Delivery Process" questionnaire.
• Statistical analysis included percentages, means, and Spearman correlation.

Main Results:

• Students reported higher fear levels in frequently practiced procedures like vaginal palpation.
• Conversely, less experienced or inexperienced procedures, such as breech delivery, elicited lower fear.
• Students felt most competent in prenatal and postnatal care practices.

Conclusions:

• Student midwives' fear is correlated with their level of experience in specific delivery-related practices.
• Educational interventions should address identified fears and skill deficiencies before clinical practice.
• Targeted strategies can help alleviate student midwives' anxieties and enhance their confidence.