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

Bacround/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 a "Personal Information Form" and the "Scale of Safety and Trust Against Violence." The data were analyzed using SPSS 27.0. 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. Descriptive statistics summarized demographic characteristics and scale scores, while Spearman correlation, Mann-Whitney U, Kruskal-Wallis H, and t-tests were utilized for association and difference analyses. The impact of independent variables was evaluated through multiple regression, and Cronbach's Alpha was calculated to assess the reliability of the scale (p < 0.05). Results: The study examined midwifery students' perceptions of safety and trust 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 students’ professional development.