BACKGROUND:
Continuity of care (CoC) leads to better maternal and infant health outcomes (Sandall, 2024). Evidence suggests that women value an ongoing relationship with midwifery students, especially in a CoC model (Tickle, 2021). In Ireland, midwifery education Standards (2016) mandate that all students experience the continuum of care, however, the specific integration of this model of care within the curriculum remains unclear.

OBJECTIVES:
To explore the experiences of midwifery students in a CoC model while working within a hospital setting.

METHODS:
A qualitative descriptive design was adopted. A validated anonymous questionnaire consisting of 39 questions, with a combination of Likert scale items and open-ended text boxes were used to collect data. Free text responses were thematically analysed.

RESULTS:
Thirty-four students responded to the questionnaire. Two themes were synthesised from the data: ‘Suspended between two models of care’ and ’Bridging the gap to registration’. The first theme identified how midwifery students navigated the tension between institutional norms and the demands of their roles, balancing practice placements, academic responsibilities and personal life. The second theme highlighted the student’s development of their professional status, particularly in the initiation, development and maintenance of relationships with women. Students emphasised how the CoC experience supported their understanding and experience of care from the woman’s perspective within the hospital setting.

CONCLUSIONS:
Midwifery students may have difficulty adapting to a CoC model of midwifery care if their experience is solely within a hospital setting. However, providing more exposure to alternative models of care could enhance their confidence in choosing to work in a CoC model of care after qualification. Integrating a CoC model requires negotiation with the established practice placements within the hospital.

KEY MESSAGE:
Midwifery students require exposure to multiple models of care prior to qualification. Poster session 3 (Group B)