THE LEARNING OUTCOMES:
1. To explore the current experiences of student midwives and midwifery educators in clinical settings. 2. To share best practices of respectful and effective practice education in challenging environments. 3. To develop a practical reference toolkit for students and midwives supporting respectful practice education.

THE PROCESS/ACTIVITIES:
Educating a competent and resilient midwifery workforce is essential for delivering high-quality maternity and newborn care. The global shortage of midwives raises concerns about the declining quality of midwifery education—particularly in clinical settings—and its potential negative impact on maternal and neonatal health outcomes. Quality midwifery education is governed by professional and governmental regulatory frameworks. Midwifery curricula contain theory and practice elements with a minimum of 50% practice learning undertaken in clinical settings (ICM, 2021). Despite the existence of comprehensive standards and policy frameworks for clinical education, many settings face chronic understaffing. Student midwives often face poor supervision, limited practice, unwelcome environments, emotional stress, and a gap between theory and reality. Clinical midwifery educators also face substantial challenges. These include balancing the dual responsibilities of ensuring patient safety and providing effective student supervision, often in the absence of clear role expectations, formal pedagogical training, or institutional support (Panda et al., 2021). This workshop aims to collaboratively develop a practical toolkit—comprising quick-reference cards and evidence-based strategies—to support midwifery students and educators in navigating challenging clinical environments. The outcomes will be shared with participants, and a future publication is planned.

AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION:
Discussing experiences, sharing best practices, and collaborating in the development of a reference toolkit. Additional reading International Confederation of Midwives. Global standards for midwifery education. Accessed April 16. 2026. ICM; 2021. https://www.internationalmidwives.org/assets/files/general-files/2021/10/global-standards-for-midwifery-education-2021-en.pdf Panda S, Dash M, John J, et al. Challenges faced by student nurses and midwives in clinical learning environment - A systematic review and meta-synthesis. Nurse Educ Today. 2021 Jun;101:104875. doi: 10.1016/j.nedt.2021.104875