Prenatal clinicians' perspectives on trauma-informed care competency and training

Area of Science:

• Obstetrics and Gynecology
• Psychology
• Healthcare Education

Background:

• Prenatal clinicians express a desire to implement trauma-informed care (TIC).
• Significant barriers hinder the practical application of TIC principles in prenatal settings.
• This study aimed to understand clinicians' views on TIC competency and training to improve prenatal care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore prenatal clinicians' perspectives on trauma-informed care (TIC) competency.
• To identify challenges and opportunities in current TIC training for prenatal care providers.
• To inform the development of effective strategies for enhancing TIC training in prenatal settings.

Main Methods:

• A mixed-methods study design was utilized.
• Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 23 prenatal clinicians.
• Inductive thematic analysis was applied to qualitative interview data.

Main Results:

• A gap exists in translating trauma-informed care (TIC) knowledge into practice, despite positive attitudes.
• Clinicians reported a lack of perceived competence and inadequate, fragmented TIC training.
• Barriers to training and inconsistent quality of care were identified as key issues.

Conclusions:

• Current trauma-informed care (TIC) training in prenatal settings is insufficient and not context-specific.
• There is a critical need for improved, tailored TIC training models for prenatal care.
• Future research should focus on evaluating the long-term impact of TIC training on clinicians and patients.