Elsevier

Nurse Education Today

Volume 50, March 2017, Pages 12-16
Nurse Education Today

Midwifery students' experiences of simulation- and skills training

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2016.12.005Get rights and content

Highlights

  • Simulation- and skills training creates links between theory and practice, which facilitate student’s learning ability.

  • The opportunity to work in a collaborative group in an open environment is of importance for the learning process.

  • Simulation- and skills training make the students feel prepared and confident before clinical practice.

Abstract

Background

In Sweden, simulation- and skills training are implemented in midwifery education in order to prepare students for clinical practice. Research regarding the use of both low to high levels of fidelity in simulation in midwifery programme is limited.

Aim

The aim of this study was to explore midwifery students' experiences of simulation- and skills training.

Methods

Midwifery students (n = 61), at advanced level, were interviewed in 13 group interviews from 2011 to 2105. A semi-structured interview guide was used, and data were analysed by content analysis.

Results

The results are presented in four main categories: develops hands on skills and communication, power of collaborative learning, highly valued learning environment and facilitates clinical practice. The majority of students felt that the simulation- and skills training were necessary to become familiar with hands on skills. Having repetitive practices in a safe and secure environment was viewed as important, and students highly valued that mistakes could be made without fear of comprising patient safety. Student's collaboration, reflections and critical thinking increased learning ability. Simulation- and skills training created links between theory and practice, and the lecturer had an important role in providing instructions and feedback. Students felt prepared and confident before their clinical practice, and simulation- and skills training increased safety for all involved, resulting in students being more confident, as patients in clinical practice became less exposed. Furthermore, mentors were satisfied with students' basic skills.

Conclusion

Simulation- and skills training support the development of midwifery skills. It creates links between theory and practice, which facilitates students' learning ability. Training needs to include reflections and critical thinking in order to develop their learning. The lecturer has an important role in encouraging time for reflections and creating safe environment during the skills and simulation training.

Introduction

There is increased interest in simulation- and skills training in midwifery education. Many universities and hospitals have built centres that are similar to delivery and maternity wards. Simulation- and skills training in midwifery programmes are implemented to develop clinical skills in order to reduce pressures in clinical practice beforehand and offer opportunities to develop skills in a safe environment (Berragan, 2011).

Section snippets

Background

There are several reasons why simulation- and skills training are implemented in midwifery programmes including improving students' knowledge and skills, enhancing patient safety and practising different cases that occur infrequently in clinical setting. Also, other non-clinical skills such as communication, decision-making, prioritisation, critical thinking and teamwork can be practised and enhanced through simulation.

Previously, there was a systematic review that critically examined the

Sample and Data Collection

The inclusion criteria were all students in the midwifery programme willing to share their experiences. Results are based on group interviews. A semi-structured interview guide was designed based on research group experiences and evaluations of earlier simulation- and skills training. The interview guide had three open-ended questions: What are your experiences of training under normal birth situations? What are your experiences of training under complicated birth situations? What are your

Findings

The results are presented in four main categories: develops hands on skills and communication, power of collaborative learning, highly valued learning environment and facilitates clinical practice. The mean age of the students was 30 years-old, and they had worked for three and a half years, on average, as registered nurses before they applied to the midwifery programme. After one year of studies, the students had practised five weeks at a delivery ward and seven weeks at antenatal care. On

Discussion

Results showed that students thought that collaboration, reflections and critical thinking increased their learning ability. The repetitive practices, where mistakes could be made without fear of comprising patient safety, were highly valued. Simulation- and skills training created links between theory and practice, which allowed for deeper knowledge.

One result that appeared in this study was the group's significance for learning. Wenger's learning theory “Communities of practice” is a social

Conclusion

Simulation- and skills training support the development of midwifery skills. It creates links between theory and practice, which facilitate student's learning ability. Having the opportunity to work in a collaborative group in an open environment is of great importance for the learning process. The students felt prepared and confident before they began their clinical practice. According to students, simulation- and skills training increased safety for all involved; specifically, students were

Acknowledgements

We thank all the midwifery students who openly shared their beliefs and views during the interviews. We thank the midwifery students Anastasia Haidar and Marie Svensson for their cooperation with analysis and results.

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