Effects of hand preference on learning episiotomy skills: a study conducted with midwifery students

Current educational materials and clinical practice protocols are largely designed for right-handed students or workers, which leads to additional challenges for left-handed midwifery students in learning how to perform episiotomies, which require fine motor skills. Adapting educational environments and content to students' handedness is a necessity to help students gain skills and to ensure patient safety.

This study was conducted to compare the levels of challenges experienced by 3rd - and 4th -year midwifery students in Turkey during episiotomy and episiotomy repair procedures according to their handedness (right, left, ambidextrous), and to investigate the relationship between hand dominance intensity measured by the Edinburgh Handedness Inventory and the reported difficulty level.

The study sample consisted of 769 third- and fourth-year midwifery students at universities in Turkey during the 2022-2023 academic year. Data were collected using the Student Information Form and the Edinburgh Handedness Inventory. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Fisher's Exact Test, and binary logistic regression analysis.

Of the participating students, 82.4% were right-handed, 7% were left-handed, and 10.6% were ambidextrous. The left-handed students had greater difficulty in performing episiotomy and repair procedures than did the right-handed and ambidextrous students both in the laboratory and in the clinical settings (p < .05). Binary logistic regression analysis identified difficulty experienced during clinical episiotomy practice and laboratory-based episiotomy repair training as significant predictors of left-hand use (p < .05).

The results of the study clearly demonstrated that the left-handed students needed additional support to acquire psychomotor skills. Therefore, left-handed practice should be regularly supported in episiotomy training through physical conditions, equipment, and supportive mentoring programs, which will not only improve left-handed students' technical competence and confidence, but also maximize patient safety.

Not applicable.