Supporting midwifery student whistleblowers

Clinical placements enable midwifery students to apply theory to practice and become professionally socialised through exposure to professional behaviour and practice. However, there are situations where students witness inappropriate behaviour or unsafe practice, creating a dilemma of whether to whistleblow. Whilst it is recognised that whistleblowing about behaviours or practices jeopardising the safety of mothers and babies is crucial, the perceived power disparity between students and midwives makes this challenging. Due to concerns about the repercussions of whistleblowing, clinical and educational organisations must foster supportive environments that enable students to confidently whistleblow to safeguard the wellbeing of mothers and babies.