Perinatal Death Witnessed by Midwifery Students During Clinical Practice and Their Coping Methods: A Qualitative Study

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the perinatal death experience of midwifery students during clinical practice and their coping methods. Design: A qualitative, descriptive, phenomenological design was used. Settings: The study was conducted with midwifery students. Participants: The study was conducted with 14 midwifery students at a state university in northern Turkey between April and July 2023. Methods: Perinatal death experiences that students witnessed during clinical practice and their coping methods were analyzed using the individual in-depth interview technique. Data were analyzed using the thematic analysis method. The results obtained from the study were reported according to the COREQ criteria. Findings: As a result of the analysis, four main themes: (1) the perception of the concept of death, (2) the first encounter with death, (3) methods of coping with death, and (4) students' suggestions were elicited from the data. Students who witnessed perinatal death were affected by this situation, experienced negative emotions, and resorted to different methods to cope with their negative feelings about death. Conclusions: Midwifery students who witnessed perinatal death were negatively affected emotionally and professionally; therefore, education and policy-oriented regulations are needed to cope with perinatal death.