The prevalence and effect of traumatic childbirth witnessed by midwifery students: A quantitative study

Experiencing a traumatic event during childbirth can cause undergraduate midwifery students to view childbirth as traumatic and develop a fear of it. This may hinder their ability to provide professional care and support to women during childbirth.

The trauma may affect their education, future professional life, and caregiving abilities, potentially leading them to consider dropping out of the programme.

This study aimed to determine the prevalence and effect of traumatic childbirth witnessed by undergraduate midwifery students during their clinical practice at a government academic institution in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

An online descriptive cross-sectional survey with closed questions was chosen. The study sample includes second-, third-, and fourth-year undergraduate midwifery students who had attended at least one childbirth session (n = 255). Participants were identified using a non-probability convenience sampling technique. First-year students or those who had not started clinical practice were excluded.

A total of 149 respondents completed the survey, with a 96.8 % response rate. Among undergraduate midwifery students, 77.2 % reported witnessing traumatic childbirth during clinical training, with many considering these experiences somewhat traumatic (48.3 %) or highly traumatic (28.9 %).

The survey results indicate that these experiences significantly affected mental and emotional health, and future childbirth preferences. Satisfaction among midwifery studies remained positive despite these challenges.

This study determined that a significant proportion of midwifery students witnessed traumatic childbirth, which affected their future pregnancy and childbirth plans, mental and emotional well-being, and professional life.