PURPOSE:
Through a partnership between U.S. and Kenyan midwifery educators, we co-designed a midwifery clinical initiative focused on responding to obstetric emergencies with simulation-based scenarios as a training mechanism.

DISCUSSION:
The aim of this initiative is to enhance critical thinking and clinical competence for midwifery students as they learn to manage OB complications. Training in obstetric complications through simulation offers valuable learning and enhances midwifery students' readiness for emergency clinical situations that may arise, requiring skillful, practiced management. Kenyan and US educators collaborated to develop a simulation curriculum to provide foundational training for the clinical setting. The curriculum was implemented at two midwifery education programs, one in Kenya and one in a US Institution.

EVIDENCE WHERE RELEVANT:
Simulation-based education enables students to develop and refine clinical skills, decision-making, and interprofessional communication in a safe, controlled environment. It is particularly valuable for preparing midwives to manage high-risk, low frequency events such as postpartum hemorrhage, shoulder dystocia and neonatal resuscitation. The World Health Organization (2021) includes simulation in its Midwifery Education Toolkit as a recommended method for competency-based education and systematic reviews have supported the effectiveness (Cooper et al 2012; Yucel et al, 2020).

KEY MESSAGE:
Simulation is a potentially powerful tool in midwifery education across settings. Cross-national collaboration fosters innovation and not only enhances students’ critical thinking and clinical competence, but also enriches learning by the mutual respect developed through international partnership, as students consider context and resource availability in diverse settings. Poster session 3 (Group B)