The parents are watching : Midwifery students’ perceptions of how workplace bullying impacts mothers and babies

Problem Bullying in the midwifery profession has been documented and the problem is now known to extend to the poor treatment of midwifery students. In nursing, research has shown that bullying in the clinical workplace can adversely impact on quality of care. To date, no research has explored whether the bullying of midwifery students has secondary impacts on the experiences and care of mothers, babies, and their support persons. Aim To examine how midwifery students, who self-identify as having been bullied, perceive the repercussions on women and their families. Methods This qualitative descriptive study explored 120 Australian and United Kingdom (UK) based midwifery students. Data were collected using an anonymous online qualitative survey and were thematically analysed. Findings The findings suggest that the bullying of midwifery students impacts women and their families in a number of ways. Midwifery students perceive that mothers and babies are frequently implicated either directly or indirectly in the enactment of bullying. This can impact their safety, fractures relationships, and impairs the women's confidence in the student and the profession. Students additionally reported that women and/or their support persons can feel compelled to step in to defend and protect the student. Conclusions The bullying of midwifery students is perceived to place women at risk, in uncomfortable situations, damage rapport and undermines their confidence in students and the profession. This also impacts adversely on the student's ability to provide women centred care as they lose confidence in front of the woman and her family when they are bullied by registered midwives