A teddy and a cardboard box: Developing midwifery skills during COVID-19 utilising innovative online learning activities

BACKGROUND: The World Health Organisation declared a world pandemic due to COVID-19 on 11(th) March 2020, presenting challenges with preparation of undergraduate midwives for a primarily clinically based profession within a tertiary setting. Comprehensive education ensuring clinical competence and confidence at graduation is fundamental to quality midwifery care optimising outcomes for women and their babies. Clinical skills sessions, including immersive simulation focusing on midwifery practice, skills, and clinical decision-making, complement extensive professional placement hours. THE CHALLENGE: Social distancing requirements due to COVID19 necessitated all learning activities to pivot to the online platform. This resulted in a pre-planned laboratory session for students enrolled in second-year clinical course with significant learning concepts that included two core critical skills, shoulder dystocia and estimation of blood loss needed to be moved online in less than 12 hours. TEACHING INNOVATION: Creative and novel strategies based on a best practice online framework utilising the transformational curriculum framework were implemented online replacing a planned laboratory session. Using a variety of online tools, peer to peer learning strategies and ‘hands-on’ easily replicated fun activities utilising common household items such as a cereal box and a teddy, scaffolded the clinical skills to reflect those planned within the traditional face to face environment. EVALUATION: Positive evaluation from students and staff, were received regarding enhanced student engagement, interest, interaction, promotion of learner agency in addition to enhanced skill development when students attended a later laboratory session. This positive experience resulted in the implementation of regular online clinical skills sessions before clinical simulation attendance. While online clinical skill development should never replace face to face simulation, improved preparation and optimisation of midwifery student learning prior to immersive simulation sessions has the ability to optimise learning.