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CONFERENCE PROCEEDING
Final-year midwifery students' experiences of being exposed to perinatal loss in one state in Australia: Recommendations for co-designed evidence-based best-practice education: A co-design approach
1
The University of Newcastle, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Newcastle, Australia
Eur J Midwifery 2026;10(Supplement 1):A131
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimate 2.6 million stillbirth and 2.7 million neonatal deaths annually. However, in midwifery education midwifery students are prevented from gaining experience within the clinical placement and are shielded from exposure to still birth, late terminations, intrauterine death (Strauss, 2019) as midwifery mentors feel they should protect students from the emotional psychological trauma. The impact of this behaviour is that once students have completed their training they feel unprepared to care for women experiencing neonatal loss (Lopez-Ibernon, et al., 2025).
OBJECTIVES:
The aim of this study was to co-design best-practice evidence-based education resources to prepare midwifery students for midwifery practice experience.
METHODS:
In a three phase study a purposive sample of final year midwifery students were interviewed using conversational focus group interviews which collected students lived experiences of exposure to perinatal loss during their midwifery clinical practice experiences. The findings of the focus groups were used as the foundation for phase 2 - the need for the new education resource creation. In phase 2 a collaborative group of key informants were recruited in a co-design project to create new evidence-based best-practice education resources. The codesign group included clinicians, consumers, academics and final year midwifery students. Phase 3 will involve the implementation and evaluation of the new education resource with second year students.
RESULTS:
Students identified personal experiences of the difficult situations they were exposed to and identified the greatest challenges that impeded their capacity to support parents. The key informants shared their expertise and contributed to the creation of a new education resource which will be implemented in 2026.
CONCLUSIONS:
Co design is an appropriate research approach which respects the expertise of key informants and assists in collaborative creation of best-practice evidence-based education resources.
KEY MESSAGE:
Students benefit from evidence-based best-practice recommendations that guides education to prepare them for clinical practice. Education - issues
The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimate 2.6 million stillbirth and 2.7 million neonatal deaths annually. However, in midwifery education midwifery students are prevented from gaining experience within the clinical placement and are shielded from exposure to still birth, late terminations, intrauterine death (Strauss, 2019) as midwifery mentors feel they should protect students from the emotional psychological trauma. The impact of this behaviour is that once students have completed their training they feel unprepared to care for women experiencing neonatal loss (Lopez-Ibernon, et al., 2025).
OBJECTIVES:
The aim of this study was to co-design best-practice evidence-based education resources to prepare midwifery students for midwifery practice experience.
METHODS:
In a three phase study a purposive sample of final year midwifery students were interviewed using conversational focus group interviews which collected students lived experiences of exposure to perinatal loss during their midwifery clinical practice experiences. The findings of the focus groups were used as the foundation for phase 2 - the need for the new education resource creation. In phase 2 a collaborative group of key informants were recruited in a co-design project to create new evidence-based best-practice education resources. The codesign group included clinicians, consumers, academics and final year midwifery students. Phase 3 will involve the implementation and evaluation of the new education resource with second year students.
RESULTS:
Students identified personal experiences of the difficult situations they were exposed to and identified the greatest challenges that impeded their capacity to support parents. The key informants shared their expertise and contributed to the creation of a new education resource which will be implemented in 2026.
CONCLUSIONS:
Co design is an appropriate research approach which respects the expertise of key informants and assists in collaborative creation of best-practice evidence-based education resources.
KEY MESSAGE:
Students benefit from evidence-based best-practice recommendations that guides education to prepare them for clinical practice. Education - issues
| eISSN: | 2585-2906 |
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