Enhancing Empathy and Emotional Awareness in Intrapartum Care Through Role-Reversal Simulation: A Mixed-Methods Study with Midwifery Students

Background/Objectives: This study evaluated the effects of a role-reversal simulation-based educational intervention on midwifery students’ emotional availability and responsiveness in intrapartum care and explored their experiences of the simulation through qualitative inquiry. Methods: A mixed-methods quasi-experimental one-group pretest–post-test design was used. Forty-nine midwifery students participated in a simulation in which they alternately assumed the roles of a labouring woman and a midwife. Qualitative data were obtained through reflective forms and focus group interviews and analyzed using Braun and Clarke’s six-step thematic analysis. Results: Post-intervention emotional availability and responsiveness scores significantly increased compared with pre-intervention scores (p < 0.001), with a large effect size (Cohen’s d = 1.25). Qualitative findings suggested that students perceived greater empathic awareness, a deeper understanding of women’s labour experiences, and increased awareness of respectful and woman-centred care. Participants also described role-reversal simulation and reflective learning as valuable experiences that promoted emotional engagement and greater awareness of their professional roles. Conclusions: Role-reversal simulation may be a useful educational strategy for strengthening emotional availability and responsiveness in intrapartum care among midwifery students. The qualitative findings further suggest that this learning experience may support empathy-related awareness and reflective learning.