[Midwifery Students] 7 Mindsets to Value During Labor Practicum | What Clinical Instructors Want to Convey: 'Things More Important Than Technique'
Hello! I'm Carrie, a clinical instructor who wants to support midwifery students. ☀️
The hot days continue, don't they? I'm sure there are students out there working hard on their midwifery practicum without letting the heat get to them!
In a previous article, I talked about 'Points for Preparing' for midwifery practicum👇
This time, as a clinical instructor, I want to share '7 Mindsets to Value During Labor Practicum' that I want to convey to midwifery students.
1. Don't just 'observe,' but 'participate while thinking'
During labor practicum, I think there will be many situations where you are observing.
Actually, regarding this observation, I think it's a waste to 'just watch'.
For example,
・Why was the internal examination performed just now?
・Why was the position changed at this timing?
・On what basis did the midwife report to the doctor?
・What information was integrated to choose this care?
Just by observing while thinking 'Why?' like that, the depth of learning from the same birth will change significantly.
A practicum is not a 'place to watch.' It is a place to participate while thinking.
2. Look at the expectant mother in front of you, not just the monitor
During practicum, I often see students who focus on recording the monitor values.
Of course,
・Fetal heart rate
・Contraction intervals
・Vital signs such as blood pressure
are very important information.
But you cannot understand birth with just that.
What a midwife faces is not the monitor, but the 'expectant mother in front of them.'
For example,
'Her expression changed slightly.'
'She started to let out sounds.'
'Her way of breathing changed.'
'The position where she rubs her lower back changed.'
These changes are not reflected on the monitor.
That is precisely why you should observe while keeping in mind not just the numbers, but the perspective of, 'What is the condition of this mother right now?'
Building up that experience will lead to your observational and assessment skills as a midwife.
3. When you don't understand something, ask after you have thought about it
During clinical practice, it is a great waste to just end with, 'I don't know.' (Though it is also important to be honest about what you don't know...)
For example,
'I thought it was XX, is this understanding correct?'
'I was concerned about XX, how should I think about this?'
By asking questions with your own thoughts added like this, it leads to deeper learning.
Clinical instructors do not want you to just provide the 'correct answer.'
How you thought about it is what they want to know.
4. Do not aim for a perfect clinical practice
'I couldn't answer anything...'
'I couldn't assess well...'
I think there will be days like that.
However, clinical practice is not a place to prove what you 'can do.'
It is a place to find what you cannot do and learn from it.
There is no instructor who expects a perfect student from the start.
Please value the attitude of learning what you don't know one by one and connecting it to the next step.
5. Turn experience into knowledge through reflection
Clinical practice does not end when the labor assistance is over.
Actually, the time when you can grow the most is during reflection time.
'Why did this labor progress smoothly?'
'On what basis did the midwife make her decisions?'
'If I were the one in charge, how would I assess this?'
Even if you cannot assist with the delivery and are only observing, there is still so much you can learn.
This is because by putting your experiences into words, your knowledge gradually becomes your own.
6. Focus not only on 'what you couldn't do,' but also on 'what you could do'
When the clinical practice ends,
'I couldn't do anything...'
Many students feel discouraged like this.
However,
• I was able to ask questions on my own.
• I was able to greet the mother with a smile.
• I was able to think through the assessment in my own way.
• I was able to take notes on the advice from my instructor.
These are also significant signs of growth.
By all means, when your clinical practice ends, try writing down three things you were able to do today.
Accumulating small successful experiences will lead to confidence!
7. Value the learning that can only be done now
It is precisely because you are a student that you can ask many questions.
It is precisely because you are a student that you can take on challenges without fear of failure.
It is precisely because you are a student that you have the time to carefully engage with each and every birth.
Once you become a midwife, your responsibilities and workload will increase.
That is why you should cherish 'the learning that can only be done while you are a student'.
Each birth you are experiencing now will surely become an asset that supports your future self.
Conclusion
Finally, there is one thing I would like to tell you.
Clinical practice is nerve-wracking, and there are times when things do not go as planned.
However, that is by no means a bad thing.
Clinical practice is not a place to prove what you can do, but a place to learn.
You learn because you do not know.
You practice because you cannot do it yet.
You grow because you think.
That accumulation of experience will lead to passing the national examination and your future working as a midwife.
Please learn as much as you can from every single birth.
I am rooting for your labor practice to be a fruitful time.📣