BACKGROUND:
Quality midwifery education is central to improving midwifery service delivery and maternal and newborn health outcomes. In many settings, midwifery educators insufficiently prepared for their teaching role and deficient curriculum compared to international standards affect the quality of healthcare provided by the midwifery graduates

OBJECTIVES:
To assess the effectiveness of an EmONC enhanced midwifery curriculum delivered by trained and mentored midwifery educators on the quality of education and student performance in Kenya.

METHODS:
A cluster randomised controlled trial in 20 midwifery colleges (12 intervention, 8 control colleges). Educators in both arms received training in teaching/EmONC skills to deliver the updated national midwifery curriculum. Intervention arm received additional 3-monthly post-training mentoring for 12 months. Educators’ knowledge/confidence in EmONC/teaching skills was assessed before/after training and at 3, 6, 9 and 12 months. Teaching skills observations at baseline and endline in both study arms were also assessed. Knowledge, confidence and three OSCE in EmONC practical skills among final year midwifery students were assessed. Linear mixed effects models performed

RESULTS:
74 educators/146 students participated. Training significantly improved educators’ mean knowledge (61.3%-73.3%) and confidence to teach EmONC (3.1-4.2 out of 5). Observed teaching skills mean scores of educators in the intervention arm were significantly higher compared to those of controls at endline (89.4%-vs-72.2%, mean difference 17.2 [95%CI, 3.2-29.8]). Mean scores for students in the intervention arm were significantly higher than those in controls for knowledge (59.6%-vs-51.3%, mean difference 8.3 [95%CI, 1.6-15.0]) and the three skills assessed (means; mean difference (95%CI): shoulder dystocia (64.5%-vs-42.7%; 21.8 (10.8-33.9); newborn resuscitation (43.9% vs 26.1%; 17.8 (2.0-33.9); and maternal shock resuscitation (56.5%-vs-39.2%; 17.3 (8.0-26.0)

CONCLUSIONS:
Training and supportive mentoring were effective and improved the quality of educators’ teaching and EmONC skills and enhanced students’ learning and performance compared to training alone.

KEY MESSAGE:
Curriculum reforms and regular mentoring of educators are essential for competent midwifery graduates Poster session 3 (Group B)