‘It definitely prepares you’: an interpretative phenomenological analysis of student midwives’ preparedness to care for bereaved parents using performance-based simulation

Leyland, Dr Anne

Abstract

Limited opportunities in clinical practice result in student midwives feeling ill-prepared to care for bereaved parents experiencing baby loss. Bereavement simulation is an effective pedagogical approach. Evidence for its effectiveness as a transformative teaching strategy to prepare students for this aspect of care is limited.
Aim To explore student midwives’ experiences of caring for bereaved parents within a simulated setting
Design: Interpretative phenomenological analysis was applied to gain insight into the students’ lived experience. Mezirow’s transformative learning theory (TLT) was used to assist students to critically reflect on the simulation.
Setting: The study was conducted at a Higher Education Institute in the Northwest of England. Nine third-year student midwives participated in a performance-based simulated scenario.
Method: Data was collected using semi-structured interviews and analysed following Interpretative Phenomenology’s heuristic framework
Findings: One of the generic themes identified, included ‘a unique learning experience’ and its related sub-themes ‘you felt you were really in the situation’; ‘a nice atmosphere for the debrief’; ‘seeing how others deal with it’, and ‘it definitely prepares you’, characterised the transformational learning process the student underwent after initially encountering bereaved parents.
The simulated scenario represented a disorientating dilemma which they found challenging. Through critical self-reflection, students altered their perspectives about grief and loss and integrated new knowledge and skills that they could apply to caring for grieving parents.
Conclusion: Performance-based simulation is a creative approach to bereavement education that can prepare midwifery students to embrace the complexities of grief and loss and holistically support bereaved parents in their journey of grief.

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Dec 18, 2024
• Online Publication Date: Apr 3, 2025
• Publication Date: Apr 3, 2025
• Deposit Date: May 1, 2025
• Publicly Available Date: May 1, 2025
• Journal: Journal of Healthcare Simulation
• Electronic ISSN: 2977-697X
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Pages: 10
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.54531/XQHM2627