Understanding midwifery students' experiences with perinatal loss: An integrative review

To explore the literature and determine what is known about midwifery students' experiences with perinatal loss.

Perinatal loss requires midwives to provide empathetic care that addresses the physical, emotional and psychological needs of women and their families. Despite its importance in education, limited exposure to perinatal loss care leaves many midwifery students and graduates underprepared to support grieving families.

An integrative literature review was conducted, guided by the Whittemore and Knafl methodology.

A systematic search of CINAHL, Medline (OVID), Scopus and PubMed databases was conducted in January 2024. The full text of included studies was analysed and synthesised, with themes relevant to the study identified via meta-ethnography and narrative synthesis.

Eight studies were included. Four themes emerged: 1) My early perinatal loss experiences were unexpected and disturbing, 2) My education was piecemeal, 3) I was left feeling anxious and ill-equipped to provide perinatal loss care, 4) As students, we need support.

This review examined midwifery students' experiences with perinatal loss, highlighting their theoretical and clinical unpreparedness and the dual role of registered midwives as knowledge conduits and gatekeepers. Further research involving registered midwives is essential to develop strategies that bridge the clinical experience gap for students in perinatal loss care.