Midwifery Students’ First Vaginal Examination Experiences: A Qualitative Study

Objective: This study was carried out to determine the experiences and anxiety levels of the students during their first vaginal examination experience. Methods: Between December 2021 and January 2022, 13 midwifery students of the second and third grades, who came to the delivery room of a state university, studying in the Department of Midwifery, participated in the study. Data were collected through a sociodemographic information form, state anxiety scale, and semistructured questionnaire. Statistical Package of Social Sciences 21 program was used to determine the anxiety levels and to reveal the difference before and after the application. A statistically significant value of P < .05 was accepted. Results: The mean age of the students participating in the study was 20.46 ± 0.66 (19–21) and their academic average was 3.26 ± 0.42 (2.54–3.97). While the anxiety level of the students before the vaginal examination was 37.46 ± 10.03, the mean anxiety level after the examination was 32.30 ± 6.35. In the research, students’ experiences were gathered under three main themes (preexamination, examination process, and post-examination) and seven categories (privacy, aseptic conditions, information, necessity, frequency, emotions, and expectations). Conclusion: Vaginal examination is very important in midwifery education. After the application, the students experienced a positive change in their emotions, their self-confidence increased, and they stated that they felt like a midwife. However, their expectations are that the existing support systems should be increased. In line with these results, it is recommended to increase the support systems of students and to conduct more studies on midwifery practice training of students.

Cite this article as: Şanlı, Ş., Kulaç, V., & Hamlacı Başkaya, Y. (2022). Midwifery students’ first vaginal examination experiences: A qualitative study. Journal of Midwifery and Health Sciences, 5(3), 106-113.