A literature review exploring student midwives' experiences of continuity of mentorship on the labour ward

Hallam, E; Choucri, LP

Abstract

Background: Continuity of mentorship is central to students' clinical placement experience. Despite a plethora of studies investigating student-mentor relationships and how it affects grading, limited attention has been paid to the extent to which a lack of continuity of mentorship affects placement experience.

Aims: To explore the importance of mentor continuity on labour ward for pre-registration midwifery students.

Methods: A database search was conducted using the terms: ‘student midwives’, ‘continuity’, ‘mentor’, ‘preceptor’, ‘mentorship’, ‘labour ward’, ‘delivery suite’ and ‘experiences.’

Findings: Continuity of mentorship enhances learning and improves clinical practice experience.

Conclusions: A lack of continuity affects all aspects of student midwives’ experiences of the labour ward. Good mentor practice should focus on continuity and the introduction of co-mentoring, where a student is mentored by at least 2 midwives, in order to reduce the strain on mentors while retaining the feeling of belonging that student midwives value.

Citation

Hallam, E., & Choucri, L. (2019). A literature review exploring student midwives' experiences of continuity of mentorship on the labour ward. British Journal of Midwifery, 27(2), 115-119. https://doi.org/10.12968/bjom.2019.27.2.115

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Online Publication Date: Feb 6, 2019
• Publication Date: Feb 2, 2019
• Deposit Date: May 7, 2019
• Journal: British Journal of Midwifery
• Print ISSN: 0969-4900
• Publisher: MA Healthcare
• Volume: 27
• Issue: 2
• Pages: 115-119
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.12968/bjom.2019.27.2.115
• Keywords: Maternity and Midwifery
• Publisher URL: https://doi.org/10.12968/bjom.2019.27.2.115