Factors Influencing Bereavement Care Competence in Midwifery Students: Regression and QCA Analysis

Perinatal loss is a profoundly distressing experience for parents and can lead to long-term psychological challenges. Midwifery students often encounter bereaved parents during clinical placements but frequently feel unprepared to provide adequate support. Identifying the key factors that influence their competence in bereavement care is essential for enhancing training effectiveness and care quality.

This is a cross-sectional study. An online survey was administered to 215 final-year midwifery students from 10 institutions in Jiangsu Province in August 2024. Both regression analysis and fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA) were used to identify the core influencing factors.

Regression analysis revealed that Professional Meaning and Knowledge Development (Bereavement Care Knowledge) and Workload Influences (Organisational Support) were significantly associated with perceived competence. FsQCA identified Supporting Degree (Organisational Support), Competence and Resource Awareness (Self-Awareness), and Deficiency and Learning Awareness (Self-Awareness) as key configurations associated with high competence, outlining two distinct pathways: the Inadequate External Support Path and the Adequate External Support Path.

This study underscores the critical role of organisational support, self-awareness, and bereavement care knowledge in shaping midwifery students' competence. Training programs should be tailored to institutional contexts, integrating these elements to better prepare students for perinatal bereavement care.