Improvement of Breast Examination Skills of Midwifery Students: Model Supported Education Study

Early diagnosis of breast cancer, one of the most common cancers worldwide, significantly enhances the success of treatment. It is crucial for midwifery students to learn breast self-examination and teach this technique to women. This study introduces an innovative approach to address the lack of practical experience among midwifery students. Breast examination mock-ups offer students the opportunity to practice in a safe and controlled environment, enabling them to apply their theoretical knowledge in practice. This contributes to enhancing students' clinical skills and improving their effectiveness in patient care. Moreover, the study aims to improve the quality of midwifery education by providing an effective solution to the challenges posed by limited resources and the increasing number of midwifery students.

By offering students the chance to practice in a secure environment, this study is expected to help midwifery students develop their skills and cope with the lack of clinical experience. The study aims to assess the use of breast examination models as a solution to this practical experience gap, providing students with an opportunity to refine their skills and enhance their clinical competence. The sample of this pre-test, post-test, follow-up randomised controlled study consisted of 64 midwifery students (experimental=32, and control=32). Data will be collected with Personal Information Form (PIF), Breast Examination Skills Assessment Form (BESAF), Self-Confidence Scale (SC) and Student Satisfaction and Confidence in Learning Scale (SCSLS). After obtaining the consent of the students in the experimental group, pre-test data will be obtained by filling out the 'Personal Information Form', 'Self-Confidence Scale' and 'Student Satisfaction and Confidence in Learning Scale'. Then, theoretical information will be given and the examination stages such as determining the area to be examined, manual examination of the area, examination method, nipple examination and detection of malignant formations in the breast will be explained practically in the breast examination model in the laboratory environment. Students will be taken in groups of 10, and after the application is explained, each student will perform the breast examination and evaluation individually. Approximately 15 minutes will be allocated for each student. Two weeks after the breast model application, the same students will be taken to the laboratory and asked to perform all the examination steps again. While the students are performing the examination steps, the researcher will mark the complete and incomplete applications on the 'Breast Examination Skill Evaluation Form' and the missing steps will be explained to the students and they will be asked to complete them. At the same time, 'Self-confidence Scale' and 'Student Satisfaction and Confidence in Learning Scale' will be filled out for the post-test. Then, two weeks later, the 'Self-Confidence Scale' and 'Student Satisfaction and Confidence in Learning Scale' will be filled out again for the final post-test. After obtaining the consent of the students in the control group, pre-test data will be collected by applying 'Personal Information Form', 'Self-Confidence Scale' and 'Student Satisfaction and Confidence in Learning Scale' to the students. Then, the students will be given theoretical information and a video will be shown to them, which includes examination stages such as determining the area to be examined, manual examination of the area, examination method, nipple examination and detection of malignant formations in the breast.

Two weeks later, the students will be taken to the laboratory environment and will be asked to perform the application steps in line with the theoretical course they have taken. While the students are performing the examination steps, the researcher will mark the complete and incomplete applications on the 'Breast Examination Skill Evaluation Form', then the missing steps will be explained to the students and they will be asked to complete them. In the post-test phase, the 'Self-Confidence Scale' and the 'Student Satisfaction and Confidence in Learning Scale' will be administered to the students again. Two weeks after this process, the same scales will be filled in again for the final post-test.

This study presents an innovative approach to supporting midwifery students in developing their clinical skills. The use of breast examination models enables students to better prepare for real clinical situations by applying theoretical knowledge. It is anticipated that students in the experimental group will exhibit higher levels of self-confidence and skill development compared to the control group. These findings could provide valuable data to promote the widespread adoption of model-assisted education in clinical training programs. Given the increasing number of students and the limitations of clinical facilities, model-assisted education emerges as a sustainable and effective solution to enhance the quality of midwifery programs. This method allows students to develop their skills without compromising patient safety and offers flexibility in the educational process. The study's results are expected to guide the structuring of educational programs in midwifery and other healthcare fields.