PURPOSE:
Effective communication is a core competency in midwifery. Students are required to build empathy, convey trust, and support women holistically during pregnancy; however, conventional training methods often lack the capacity to offer repeated, realistic, and individualized opportunities for practicing these skills. To address this gap, we introduced a generative AI-based chatbot that simulated realistic interactions with pregnant woman with the aim of enhancing communication skills and pioneering next-generation basic midwifery education.

DISCUSSION:
Students engaged in AI-facilitated role-play scenarios consisting of interactive voice-input conversations. These scenarios cultivated advanced communication competencies and enabled real-time, reflective decision-making. Each interaction was designed to promote immediate reflection by giving personalized feedback, which aimed to reinforce learner-centered, individualized growth. The chatbot was positively evaluated for its accessibility; flexibility; and its unique capacity to provide repeatable, safe, and personalized training. Nevertheless, occasional system errors and limitations in dynamic response tailoring highlighted areas for further refinement.

EVIDENCE WHERE RELEVANT:
Student feedback demonstrated clear increases in self-confidence, heightened self-awareness, and perceived improvements in practical communication skills. Detailed conversation log analyses suggested the chatbot’s effectiveness in promoting reflective learning and individualized educational experiences.

KEY MESSAGE:
Incorporating generative AI chatbots into basic midwifery education represents a next-generation approach that significantly enhances communication skills through learner-centered, adaptive, and scalable training. As digital tools become more adaptive and sophisticated, they offer a valuable complement to traditional midwifery training, preparing future professionals to engage empathetically and effectively with those in their care. Poster session 3 (Group B)