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

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.

Pilot study to test the Slovenian version of the Kennerley-Gath Blues questionnaire.

INTRODUCTION: Postpartum blues in 20% of cases develops into postnatal depression if it lasts longer than 14 days, so the condition requires attention. To help Slovenian midwives in screening for postpartum blues, we aimed to translate the Kennerly-Garth Blues Questionnaire (BQ). METHODS: The blues questionnaire was translated using a double-blind translation method. The Cathedra for Midwifery at the Faculty Health Sciences Ljubljana reviewed the ethics and research design of the study. The online survey was conducted among Slovenian postpartum women who had to be between the 3rd and 15th day postpartum (inclusion criteria). A snowball sampling was used. The online questionnaire was active from January to March 2020. Women voluntarily participated in the survey and were assured of anonymity. RESULTS: A total of 101 women participated in the study. More than half (58%) scored ≥7 points in the questionnaire, which is the cut-off score, indicating postpartum blues. More single women obtained a high score (66.6%) than those who were married (63.6%) or in an extramarital relationship (50.9%). High questionnaire scores were more common among women who had had their second child. Cronbach alpha for the Slovenian version of the Blues questionnaire was 0.995. CONCLUSIONS: The survey instrument can be used easily and quickly and is a good way to open discussion with women about emotional and mental health in the postnatal period. The Slovenian version of the Blues questionnaire showed a satisfactory level of internal consistency, but a larger study should be conducted to evaluate the cut-off score and the content validity.

Slovenian midwifery professionalization: Perception of midwives and related health professions.

INTRODUCTION: This article presents research into the professionalization of midwifery in Slovenia. Since recognition by related occupations is important for professions, this comparative study asked doctors and nurses in Slovenia about their perceptions of the status of midwifery. METHODS: A questionnaire survey was conducted with 300 Slovenian midwives, 666 nurses and 416 obstetricians. The questionnaire included statements covering traditional sociological notions of the profession (ethics, theory, power), and three notions based on new elements of professionalism (reflective practice, interdisciplinary working, and partnership with clients). RESULTS: Findings suggest that nurses perceived themselves to be less autonomous than midwives, and this partly explains why most nurses thought that midwifery should be a specialized course of study, after the general nursing diploma. Obstetricians claimed to support midwives, however, they did not give midwives credit for basic midwifery competencies and did not feel midwifery to be equal to their profession. Midwives revealed not to feel autonomous; they felt that nursing and obstetrics is jeopardizing independent midwifery practice. CONCLUSIONS: Slovenian midwifery was poorly evaluated in some attributes of professionalism, especially knowledge and autonomy. Even midwives themselves consider midwifery more occupation than profession. The autonomy of midwifery will be hard to achieve in the institutions of medical dominance. The study revealed that participants of all three groups are in a competitive relation and are poorly aware of the roles and competencies of the other two professions. Therefore, partially joined education might be beneficial in order to promote interprofessional collaboration in the future.

Midwifery students' well-being among undegraduates in Slovenia: A pilot study.

OBJECTIVES: Midwifery education is very demanding considering the professional competencies student midwives are required to develop. It can cause different levels of stress to students and affect their learning abilities. With the JDCS (Job Demands-Control-Social support) model adapted for educational purposes we aimed to estimate the midwifery students' coping abilities with study related stress. RESEARCH DESIGN: A quantitative study was conducted using a questionnaire that evaluated perceived demand (9 items), perceived control (10 items), and perceived social support (10 items) with a 5-point Likert scale. 94 students were invited to participate in the study in autumn 2014. All necessary steps to address the ethical issues of the study were undertaken beforehand. FINDINGS: One quarter of Slovenian midwifery students perceived midwifery education as too demanding, while 31% of them thought it was low-strained. 41% answered that the study motivated them. 28% believed that they lacked the possibility to make their own decisions regarding the study. KEY CONCLUSIONS: The findings indicate that the level of Slovenian midwifery students' well-being is generally high. Using the JDCS model in midwifery education, we could evaluate students' general coping abilities with study related stress. More studies should be performed to evaluate the research tool internationally.

A survey of women who continue to smoke during pregnancy in Slovenia.

INTRODUCTION: Smoking in pregnancy is unhealthy and can also have negative effects on the foetus. However, there are still some women who do not quit smoking during pregnancy. The aim of the study was to identify Slovenian women at risk who smoke during pregnancy. METHODS: A quantative approach using an online survey was adopted. The study was conducted in May and June 2017, in Slovenia. A snowball sample was used. Participation in the survey was anonymous and voluntary, and 118 women who identified themselves as smokers participated in the study. Descriptive statistics was used to analyse the data. RESULTS: More than half (66%) did not quit smoking during pregnancy. Women who continued to smoke during pregnancy were usually younger, less educated with a partner who smoked. Women who smoked more cigarettes per day before conception were less likely to refrain from smoking during pregnancy. The most common reason for not quitting smoking during pregnancy was failure in attempts to quit (37%). CONCLUSIONS: Women who smoke need support to stop smoking before pregnancy or, at least, in the first trimester. Special groups for smoking cessation need to be created. Further and more extensive research is warranted in Slovenia to assess this issue.

Midwifery education in Central-Eastern Europe.

Problems in midwifery in many Central-Eastern European countries are very similar; it is possible to speak about the evolving Central-Eastern model of midwifery care. The educational models of this region have a relatively strong theoretical part; however, there is an insufficient practical dimension. Theoretical part of midwifery education in the universities is relatively autonomous and is slowly changing the professional identity of graduates.

How do midwives in Slovenia view their professional status?

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to explore Slovenian midwives' views of their professional status. The influence of participants' educational background on their views was also examined, since higher education is related to professionalism. DESIGN: This was a quantitative descriptive survey, using postal data collection. The questionnaire comprised of six elements crucial for professionalism--three elements distinctive of 'old' professionalism (power, ethics, specific knowledge) and three characteristics of 'new' professionalism (reflective practice, inter-professional collaboration and partnership with users). PARTICIPANTS: A total of 300 midwives who were registered in a national register of nurses and midwives at the time of the study. The response rate was 50.7% (152 returned the questionnaire). Participants that were on a probationary period were excluded, leaving 128 questionnaires for analysis (43%). Some 40.9% participants had secondary midwifery education, 56.7% had higher midwifery education and only few (2.4%) finished postgraduate education. FINDINGS: The majority of participants did not consider midwifery to be a specific profession. Midwives with secondary education were more likely to consider practical skills to be important than theoretical midwifery knowledge. In general midwives did not feel enabled to practice autonomously; and this caused them to face ethical dilemmas when aiming to fulfil women's wishes. All participants with midwifery secondary school education thought that obstetrics jeopardises midwifery scope of practice, but only half of the BSc participants thought this. One-fifth of all participants estimated that midwifery is also threatened by nursing. The respondents reported feeling a lack of control over their professional activity and policy making; however the majority of midwives claimed that they were willing to take on more responsibility for independent practice. KEY CONCLUSIONS: Slovenian midwifery cannot be considered to be a profession yet. It faces several hindrances, due to its historical development. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: In order to develop a specific professional identity for midwives, the content and structure of education should be analysed and changed in order to improve socialisation and professionalism. In clinical settings, the scope of midwifery practice and responsibilities, as defined by EU directives, should be agreed by all professional groups.