Understanding the Student Perception of the Birth Process

Abstract

Nursing education is designed to prepare students to begin a career in healthcare, but the various methods of educating students can have a sharp impact on the student perception of critical physiologic processes. A majority of the information taught in nursing school requires students to hear the topic explained in a classroom setting and then receive hands on exposure to the subject in the clinical setting in order to gain a complete understanding of the material. The goal of nursing schools is currently to provide students with a variety of teaching styles in order to best prepare them to work in a hospital setting and be able to confidently provide holistic care. One of the focuses of nursing education is a brief introduction into the field of obstetric/maternity nursing. The phenomenon of childbirth is not easy to describe to a student with no knowledge or exposure to the birth process. This research was inspired by a desire to study what the experience of childbirth means to students in a nursing program. Focus will be given on analyzing how the nursing student population interprets and defines the complex process of labor and delivery based on their experiences with the event in their educational career.