Mahnaz Saadatbakht - Student Research Committee, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
Atefeh Ahmadi - Nursing Research Center, Razi Nursing and Midwifery Faculty, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
Ali Mehdizadeh Zare Ansari - Neuroscience Research Center, Afzalipour Hospital, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
Mansooreh Azizzade Forouzi - Department of Medical Surgical Nursing, Nursing Research Center, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
Yunes Jahani - Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Modeling in Health Research Center, Institute for Futures Studies in Health, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran

Objectives This study aimed to investigate the effect of group counseling with emphasis on communication skills on midwifery students’ sense of belonging in clinical settings. Methods This interventional study with the pre-test - post-test control group design was conducted on ۷۸ midwifery students of Kerman Medical University, who were selected using the census method. Of the total study population, sixty students with low level of mental health were screened using Goldberg’s General Health Questionnaire and randomly included in an intervention and a control group. They filled out Belongingness Scale-Clinical Placement Experience (BES-CPE) as the pre-test. The intervention consisted of eight group counseling sessions (two ۲-hour sessions per week) with emphasis on communication skills that were held in their faculty. The final sample included fifty-two students filling out the post-test instruments. Data were analyzed using SPSS ۲۲. Results There was a significant difference between the groups in terms of total score (P < ۰.۰۰۰۱) as well as the self-esteem and self-efficacy subscales (P < ۰.۰۵). Conclusions Sense of belonging in clinical settings is required for midwifery students so that they can improve their communicaton skills in such settings. Therefore, it is recommended to include programs in midwifery curricula in order to improve students’ sense of belonging with enhancing their communication skills.

counseling, Belonging, communication, Clinical, Midwifery, Students