Midwives views about preceptorship and peer-learning in a birth unit: A cross-sectional study

Practical training in a birthing unit is an important part of midwifery education. Previous research on the preceptor role predominantly consists of qualitative interview studies and have not explored pedagogical models like peer learning.

The purpose of this study was to quantitatively describe midwives' experiences, conditions, and needs in their role as preceptors in a birthing unit, as well as their attitudes towards and experiences of peer-learning.

A cross-sectional study, using a web-survey.

The survey was distributed to all midwives working in a birthing unit in Sweden.

A total of 573 valid responses were obtained.

A questionnaire consisting of 22 questions, which included background questions, questions to be answered on a four-point Likert scale, and open-ended questions, was sent out from November 2022 to March 2023. The collected data were analysed using descriptive statistics, Chi-square, and Mann Whitney U test analyses. The open-ended responses were analysed using quantitative content analysis.

Midwives with ≤10 years of experience were more hesitant about taking on the preceptor role. They also described a lack of support and found it more challenging to integrate supervision into their working hours than midwives with >10 years of experience. Time for supervision and time for reflection with midwifery students were identified as areas that could improve the quality of supervision. Of the respondents, 42.8 % had experience of peer learning. "Students learn from each other" was identified as the most common advantage of peer learning.

Long-term experience as a midwife plays a crucial role in how midwives perceive their role as a preceptor and the conditions they experience. The midwives in this study had started supervising students earlier than they deemed advantageous. As the preceptor plays a critical role in the midwifery student's learning process, it is important to have experienced preceptors.