Enhancing midwives' scope of practice: an innovative educational program for delivery suite operating rooms

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Surgical Nursing
• Obstetrics and Gynecology

Background:

• Delivery suite midwives require specialized skills for circulating and instrument roles during emergent caesarean sections.
• Existing practice, knowledge, and skill levels needed evaluation against benchmark standards.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the impact of a tailored educational program on midwives' performance in emergent caesarean sections.
• To enhance the practice, knowledge, and skills of midwives in circulating and instrument roles.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective study involving 48 invited midwives who completed the educational program.
• Data collected from 20 respondents via descriptive analysis of bivariate nominal data.

Main Results:

• Significant improvements observed in knowledge of Australian College of Operating Room Nurses standards.
• Enhanced competence and knowledge in caesarean section roles, policies, procedures, and patient safety.
• Improved working relationships between perioperative and delivery ward staff.

Conclusions:

• The educational program effectively equipped midwives with necessary knowledge and skills for caesarean sections.
• The program contributes to clinically safe practice and improved team collaboration in obstetric emergencies.