At some time during your pregnancy or labour and birth you may be asked if you are wiling to have a student health professional present to observe or to be involved in providing your care.
Many midwives support midwifery education and development by offering student midwives the opportunity of working alongside them in their practice.
You should be fully informed about what the student’s role will be before you give or withhold consent. It is obviously most useful for the student if they can participate in providing care e.g. performing examinations and assessments, measuring blood pressure, listening to your baby’s heart etc.
Most midwifery students are seeking experience with continuity of care. If you agree to student participation, you may have the same student involved during some of your pregnancy check-up visits, during your labour and birth and during the postnatal period.
Before you agree to have a student participate in your care you may want to ask:-
- Will it be just this one appointment or will the student be involved longer term?
- Will the student be observing or participating in providing care?
- If the student will be participating, what procedures, examinations etc will they be performing?
If you agree to having student involvement in your care, you can change your mind at any time about both the role of the student and whether you want her to be present or involved in your care in any way.
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