‘How Are We Going to Learn This Profession?’: A Multi-Stakeholder Qualitative Study of Educational Disruption Across Pandemic and Earthquake Crises

Background/Objectives: Crisis-related disruptions pose particular challenges for nursing and midwifery education because maintaining educational continuity also requires preserving experiential and clinical learning. The COVID-19 pandemic and the February 2023 earthquakes in Türkiye prompted changes in educational delivery. While the pandemic involved prolonged interruptions to face-to-face and clinical education, post-earthquake arrangements at the study institution primarily affected theoretical courses, with clinical and practical training continuing face-to-face. This study aimed to explore the experiences and perspectives of nursing and midwifery students, faculty members, and healthcare professionals regarding online and hybrid education implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic and the 2023 earthquakes in Türkiye, including its perceived implications for clinical learning and professional competence. Methods: This qualitative study employed a descriptive phenomenological design. Criterion purposive sampling was used to recruit 48 participants, including 20 senior nursing and midwifery students, 12 faculty members, and 16 nurses and midwives working with students in clinical settings. Data were collected through 11 face-to-face focus group interviews conducted between 15 and 26 May 2023. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using Colaizzi’s phenomenological analysis method. Two researchers independently analyzed the data, and credibility was further supported through external expert review and member checking. Results: Four interconnected themes emerged: (1) disrupted learning and unequal participation, (2) loss of experiential and clinical learning, (3) from educational disruption to professional competence concerns, and (4) reconsidering educational strategies during crises. Participants described technological and contextual barriers to educational participation across the two crises. Disruptions to laboratory and clinical learning, including reduced opportunities to develop and practice clinical skills, were primarily associated with the prolonged interruption of face-to-face education during the COVID-19 pandemic, whereas post-earthquake changes at the study institution mainly concerned theoretical course delivery. Students reported uncertainty about their clinical abilities and preparedness for professional practice, while faculty members and healthcare professionals described similar concerns from educational and clinical perspectives. Despite these challenges, participants recognized the value of online education for selected theoretical content and reported gains in digital skills. They emphasized preserving practice-based learning, strengthening technological and financial support, and involving relevant stakeholders in crisis-related educational decisions. Conclusions: Participants associated pandemic-related interruptions to experiential and clinical learning with concerns about professional preparedness, whereas their reflections on post-earthquake educational arrangements highlighted the importance of adapting theoretical course delivery to the circumstances of the crisis while maintaining face-to-face clinical training. The convergence of perspectives across students, faculty members, and healthcare professionals highlights the importance of protecting supervised experiential learning while maintaining educational continuity. Crisis preparedness in nursing and midwifery education should therefore incorporate adaptable educational models, contingency plans for clinical learning, appropriate assessment strategies, technological support, and collaboration among educational and clinical stakeholders.