Practical training in the education provided by clinical instructors to enhance the self-efficacy of midwifery students during childbirth care training

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to clarify the educational practices employed by clinical instructors in order to increase the self-efficacy of midwifery students during childbirth care training.

Methods

Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 8 clinical instructors who were certified as Clinical Ladder level III and had training experience in childbirth care, and the results were analyzed using the KJ method.

Results

The educational practices employed by clinical instructors in order to increase the self-efficacy of midwifery students in the delivery of care consisted of 8 elements. Clinical instructors first perform “To determine the care that a student can provide to an obstetric patient, obtain information about the student” and, at the same time they also perform “Need to continually make decisions necessary to care for maternity patients from pre- to post-care”. Based on these results, they afterward perform “Guide the student to set achievable behavioral goals”, “Before the student provides care to an obstetric patient, the clinical instructor first demonstrates the care”, “Allowing students take care of pregnant women as much as possible”, and “Undertake a ‘review’ to clarify and make students aware of what they could accomplish during the care”. These educational practices convert into a circular structure and provide feedback for “Need to continually make decisions necessary to care for maternity patients from pre- to post-care”. On the other hand, in order to allow midwifery students gain real-world experience with patients in labor, clinical instructors also perform “Building relationships with women in labor”. Furthermore, the clinical instructors' belief regarding “Recognize the student as an individual and engage with them in a way that allows them to feel that the pursuit of a career as a midwife was a worthwhile decision during their practical training” influences the entire educational practice to increase the self-efficacy of midwifery students.

Conclusion

In order to increase student self-efficacy, clinical instructors demonstrated a strong commitment to fostering self-efficacy in students and nurturing junior midwives. Amid the ever-changing dynamics of labor, they consistently made the necessary decisions in a timely manner while determining the maternal care that students could provide. They encouraged students to carry out the appropriate care as far as possible and practiced an educational approach that helped students recognize and acknowledge what they were able to accomplish.