Slovenian midwifery students and their self-estimation of mindfulness : a cross-sectional study with modified MAAS

Turin, Laura (author), Mivšek, Ana Polona (author)

Introduction: We investigate the level of mindfulness among midwifery students, as mindfulness can have a major impact on their perception of stress and can increase the quality of their work after graduation. Methods: A causal, non-experimental method of a cross-sectional study was used. We collected data using an online questionnaire that included a valid modified Mindful Attention Awareness Scale - MAAS. The sample consisted of Slovenian midwifery students in academic year 2022–2023. Results: Fifty-five Slovenian midwifery students (82% response rate) participated in the study. The average score of all midwifery students on the 5-Likert modified MAAS was 3.2, with the lowest average score among second-year students. Those students who practiced mindfulness techniques in their free time had higher average scores than those who did not. Conclusions: The average MAAS score of our midwifery students was lower than in other foreign studies among nursing students. The study program should promote student mindfulness. This would benefit the graduates also later, when employed, as investing in midwives' well-being improves both their job satisfaction and women's experience of care. The Slovenian curriculum is often perceived as overwhelming by students. This might be the reason for their low mindfulness scores. Further analysis of the curriculum is needed to find solutions on how to integrate mindfulness techniques into the undergraduate curriculum

• Language: English
• Keywords: mindful awareness, midwifey students, stress management
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: ZF - Faculty of Health Sciences
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Publication date: 01.04.2024
• Year: 2024
• Number of pages: 6 str.
• Numbering: Vol. 8, art. 16
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-155940
• UDC: 618.2/.6-083:159.9
• ISSN on article: 2585-2906
• DOI: 10.18332/ejm/185649
• COBISS.SI-ID: 193761795
• Publication date in RUL: 24.04.2024

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: European journal of midwifery
• Shortened title: Eur. j. midwifery
• Publisher: EU. European Publishing
• ISSN: 2585-2906
• COBISS.SI-ID: 5502315

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.