Abstract
Introduction
Medical care training has played a significant role in advancing the global health sector by enhancing the quality of healthcare services, contributing to the reduction of morbidity, disability, and mortality rates, particularly antenatal care (ANC) services, which are crucial for supporting women during pregnancy. A fully qualified midwife is at the forefront of health care and is closely involved with the mother. Therefore, the Technical School of Medical Care (TSMC) is responsible for providing training that focuses on developing the skills of students, particularly training to become midwives. This ensures that they are well prepared to provide comprehensive ANC services and that graduated midwives are fully equipped with the necessary expertise and skills. This study aimed to explore the theoretical knowledge and practical abilities of third-year associate degree students at TSMC, the University of Health Sciences, regarding the ANC components included in the course curriculum.
Methods
This was a descriptive cross-sectional study conducted in July 2023 with all 43 third-year students from 2022-2023 at TSMC. Questionnaires and checklists were used to assess knowledge and students’ practices of prenatal care skills. The data were entered into Excel and imported into Stata V15 for analysis. The data were used to describe the frequencies, percentages, mean values, and analytical methods used to assess the relationships between knowledge of ANC components and the ANC prenatal skills of midwifery students.
Results
The third-year associate degree midwifery students demonstrated an 81% level of theoretical knowledge and an 88% level of practical ability regarding ANC components. However, the results revealed that students had a limited understanding of certain ANC aspects, such as the importance of recognizing the baby’s presentation (79.1%) and knowing when to conduct an ultrasound to detect fetal abnormalities (51.2%). Additionally, the study revealed that students gained more theoretical knowledge from national hospitals, referral hospitals, and health centers than from simulation laboratories (82.4% vs. 42.8%, P=0.004). The finding also revealed a correlation between theoretical knowledge and practical ability, meaning that students who had higher levels of theoretical knowledge demonstrated stronger practical skills (P=0.015).
Conclusion
The study highlighted that midwifery students possess adequate theoretical knowledge and practical skills that align with the core competencies of ANC outlined in the curriculum. However, to enhance the quality of preemployment training, it is recommended that students further develop themselves by strengthening both their theoretical understanding and practical application of the ANC components identified as limited in the study.