Experiences of the buddy model in midwifery clinical practice: a qualitative exploration of students and nurse-midwives

The shortage of nurse-midwifery educators has increased the need for alternative clinical teaching approaches in midwifery education. The buddy model, developed through collaboration between academic and clinical institutions in Thailand, was implemented to support experiential learning in authentic clinical settings. However, the experiences of nurse-midwifery students and nurse-midwives regarding this model remain unclear. A descriptive qualitative design was employed at Siriraj Hospital, Bangkok, Thailand. Twenty-six nurse-midwifery students participated in online focus group discussions, while 15 nurse-midwives participated in in-depth individual interviews. Participants were recruited using purposive sampling. Data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Four themes emerged from students’ experiences: apprehension toward interaction with unfamiliar nurses, hands-on learning, dichotomy between two types of buddies, and challenges of learning from different types of buddies. Students reported that experiential learning with buddy nurses enhanced confidence, professional identity formation, and theory-to-practice integration. However, passive buddies and busy clinical environments reduced learning engagement. Similarly, four themes emerged from nurse-midwives’ experiences: perceiving the buddy nurse as a multifaceted role in clinical learning, holding the line between teaching and care, growing: from self to system, and barriers to effective teaching in buddy-based clinical practice. Nurse-midwives viewed themselves as mentors, emotional supporters, and professional role models, while facing challenges related to workload, patient safety priorities, and limited clinical learning opportunities. Integration of both perspectives indicated that the buddy model functions as a reciprocal relational learning process, beginning with approach and engagement and progressing through support and professional role modeling toward shared learning and professional outcomes. Participants perceived the buddy model as supporting experiential learning, psychological safety, and professional development among nurse-midwifery students and nurse-midwives through collaborative learning and supportive clinical relationships. Its successful implementation, however, depends on adequate engagement of buddy nurses, manageable workloads, and sufficient clinical learning opportunities. These findings offer preliminary, context-specific support for the use of the buddy model in similar academic–practice partnerships.