Exploring safety aspects of maternity care through the lens of midwifery students’ clinical experiences in Belgium, Czech republic, Estonia, Norway, Slovakia: A qualitative study
Abstract Background Meeting the safety needs of women and newborns is crucial in preventing harm in maternity care. Recent recommendations suggest that childbirth needs to be understood through a broader framework, since maternal and newborn mortality/morbidity remain a global challenge. The unique...
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2025-07-01
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| Series: | BMC Nursing |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-025-03296-2 |
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| author | Daniela Javornická Synnøve Mari Eidsvik Folkvord Annelies Jaeken Terézia Krčméryová Helena Kisvetrová Mary Steen |
| author_facet | Daniela Javornická Synnøve Mari Eidsvik Folkvord Annelies Jaeken Terézia Krčméryová Helena Kisvetrová Mary Steen |
| author_sort | Daniela Javornická |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Meeting the safety needs of women and newborns is crucial in preventing harm in maternity care. Recent recommendations suggest that childbirth needs to be understood through a broader framework, since maternal and newborn mortality/morbidity remain a global challenge. The unique role of midwifery students in clinical environment can provide and contribute to such understanding. This paper explores aspects of maternity care services impacting patient safety as identified by midwifery students in five European countries. Methods A 2-stage qualitative design employed an interpretivist approach. Thirty-five midwifery students (Belgium, Czech Republic, Estonia, Norway, Slovakia) were recruited through purposive sampling to engage students with an Erasmus + experience. Stage 1 (2022–2023): Thirty-five written narratives were collected anonymously via an online ‘Sharing LearnIng from Practice for Patient Safety‘ Learning Event Recording Tool. The dataset captured care in antenatal, maternity and postnatal wards. Stage 2 (2024): Three focus group discussions verified and added to the initial findings. Audio recordings were transcribed, NVivo software was utilised to assist reflexive thematic analysis in both stages. Results Three themes emerged from the analyses. ‘Treat me well’ theme captured the communication gaps and dehumanised assembly-line approach leading to compromised safety, obstetric violence and trauma. The second theme describes the paralysing impact of specific team members in ‘Team dynamics and accountability’, reducing a sense of agency among staff to advocate for patient safety. Theme ‘Traumatised team-members’ reveals the secondary trauma impact on emotional fatigue and defensive practices. Conclusions Midwifery students emphasised the importance of individualised, well-communicated, and respectful care, with language barriers being addressed. Ensuring that patients feel safe seems equally relevant to physical safety. Collaborative teams prevent errors/hazards through interdisciplinary simulations, debriefings and students’ continuous mentoring. By fostering a psychologically safe environment and implementing whistleblowing policies, the paralysing bystander effect among staff might be mitigated, and obstetric mistreatment, violence, and trauma could be addressed. Unresolved secondary trauma appears to increase unnecessary interventions and reduce the emotional availability of staff for patients in maternity care. Hence, effective recovery needs to be supported by management, and emotional resilience training should be incorporated into midwifery curricula to indirectly improve patient safety. Clinical trial number Not applicable. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-df5d58b35618411cbe8ee5f7f0a3bf14 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1472-6955 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Nursing |
| spelling | doaj-art-df5d58b35618411cbe8ee5f7f0a3bf142025-08-20T03:37:29ZengBMCBMC Nursing1472-69552025-07-0124111610.1186/s12912-025-03296-2Exploring safety aspects of maternity care through the lens of midwifery students’ clinical experiences in Belgium, Czech republic, Estonia, Norway, Slovakia: A qualitative studyDaniela Javornická0Synnøve Mari Eidsvik Folkvord1Annelies Jaeken2Terézia Krčméryová3Helena Kisvetrová4Mary Steen5The Centre for Research and Science, Faculty of Health Sciences, Palacký University OlomoucFaculty of Health Sciences, University of StavangerHealthcare Department, Midwifery Hogeschool PXL, PXL University College of Applied Arts and SciencesFaculty of Nursing and Professional Health Studies, Slovak Medical UniversityThe Centre for Research and Science, Faculty of Health Sciences, Palacký University OlomoucMidwifery in School of Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences, Curtin UniversityAbstract Background Meeting the safety needs of women and newborns is crucial in preventing harm in maternity care. Recent recommendations suggest that childbirth needs to be understood through a broader framework, since maternal and newborn mortality/morbidity remain a global challenge. The unique role of midwifery students in clinical environment can provide and contribute to such understanding. This paper explores aspects of maternity care services impacting patient safety as identified by midwifery students in five European countries. Methods A 2-stage qualitative design employed an interpretivist approach. Thirty-five midwifery students (Belgium, Czech Republic, Estonia, Norway, Slovakia) were recruited through purposive sampling to engage students with an Erasmus + experience. Stage 1 (2022–2023): Thirty-five written narratives were collected anonymously via an online ‘Sharing LearnIng from Practice for Patient Safety‘ Learning Event Recording Tool. The dataset captured care in antenatal, maternity and postnatal wards. Stage 2 (2024): Three focus group discussions verified and added to the initial findings. Audio recordings were transcribed, NVivo software was utilised to assist reflexive thematic analysis in both stages. Results Three themes emerged from the analyses. ‘Treat me well’ theme captured the communication gaps and dehumanised assembly-line approach leading to compromised safety, obstetric violence and trauma. The second theme describes the paralysing impact of specific team members in ‘Team dynamics and accountability’, reducing a sense of agency among staff to advocate for patient safety. Theme ‘Traumatised team-members’ reveals the secondary trauma impact on emotional fatigue and defensive practices. Conclusions Midwifery students emphasised the importance of individualised, well-communicated, and respectful care, with language barriers being addressed. Ensuring that patients feel safe seems equally relevant to physical safety. Collaborative teams prevent errors/hazards through interdisciplinary simulations, debriefings and students’ continuous mentoring. By fostering a psychologically safe environment and implementing whistleblowing policies, the paralysing bystander effect among staff might be mitigated, and obstetric mistreatment, violence, and trauma could be addressed. Unresolved secondary trauma appears to increase unnecessary interventions and reduce the emotional availability of staff for patients in maternity care. Hence, effective recovery needs to be supported by management, and emotional resilience training should be incorporated into midwifery curricula to indirectly improve patient safety. Clinical trial number Not applicable.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-025-03296-2SafetyMidwiferyStudentsRespectful careMentorshipTrauma |
| spellingShingle | Daniela Javornická Synnøve Mari Eidsvik Folkvord Annelies Jaeken Terézia Krčméryová Helena Kisvetrová Mary Steen Exploring safety aspects of maternity care through the lens of midwifery students’ clinical experiences in Belgium, Czech republic, Estonia, Norway, Slovakia: A qualitative study BMC Nursing Safety Midwifery Students Respectful care Mentorship Trauma |
| title | Exploring safety aspects of maternity care through the lens of midwifery students’ clinical experiences in Belgium, Czech republic, Estonia, Norway, Slovakia: A qualitative study |
| title_full | Exploring safety aspects of maternity care through the lens of midwifery students’ clinical experiences in Belgium, Czech republic, Estonia, Norway, Slovakia: A qualitative study |
| title_fullStr | Exploring safety aspects of maternity care through the lens of midwifery students’ clinical experiences in Belgium, Czech republic, Estonia, Norway, Slovakia: A qualitative study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Exploring safety aspects of maternity care through the lens of midwifery students’ clinical experiences in Belgium, Czech republic, Estonia, Norway, Slovakia: A qualitative study |
| title_short | Exploring safety aspects of maternity care through the lens of midwifery students’ clinical experiences in Belgium, Czech republic, Estonia, Norway, Slovakia: A qualitative study |
| title_sort | exploring safety aspects of maternity care through the lens of midwifery students clinical experiences in belgium czech republic estonia norway slovakia a qualitative study |
| topic | Safety Midwifery Students Respectful care Mentorship Trauma |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-025-03296-2 |
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