Perceptions of Safety and Trust Against Violence Among Healthcare Professional Candidates: An Examination of Midwifery Students

Aim: This study was designed to determine the perceptions of safety and trust against violence among midwifery students. Methods: This descriptive and cross-sectional study included 353 midwifery students enrolled at a university located in the Central Anatolia Region of Turkey. Data were collected between March 2 and April 30, 2024, using the “Personal Information Form (PIF)” and the “Safety and Trust Against Violence Scale for Healthcare Professionals (STAVHP)”. The data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences for Windows, version 27.0, statistical software (SPSS). Normality was assessed with the Shapiro-Wilk and Kolmogorov-Smirnov tests. Non-parametric tests were employed for data that did not follow a normal distribution. The impact of independent variables was evaluated through multiple regression, and Cronbach’s Alpha was calculated to assess the reliability of the scale. Results: The study examined the safety and trust perceptions of midwifery students against violence. The total scale score mean was 5.98±1.27, with the trust subdimension 5.84±1.88 and the safety subdimension 6.17±1.63. A strong positive correlation (r=0.84) was observed between the trust subdimension and the total scale score mean. Age, academic year, and trust in violence prevention strategies were found to significantly influence perceptions of safety and trust. Trust in violence prevention strategies, in particular, had a positive and significant effect on the total scale score mean (p=0.00). Conclusions: Enhancing perceptions of trust and safety during the educational process will positively support the professional development of healthcare students.