PURPOSE:
Background: Sierra Leone continues to face high maternal and neonatal mortality rates, partly due to insufficient midwifery education. A baseline assessment at Koidu Government Hospital in January 2023, revealed significant theoretical and practical training gaps, including outdated curricula, limited clinical exposure, and a lack of educator support. This quality improvement initiative aimed to enhance midwifery training and improve clinical outcomes.

OBJECTIVES:
1. To implement a redesigned competency-based curriculum and mentorship program that addresses identified training gaps. 2. To assess changes in student competency, confidence, and selected maternal and neonatal outcomes following the intervention.

DISCUSSION:
These interventions were conducted from April to September 2023. Thirty-two midwifery students participated. Key components included simulation-based skills workshops, updated teaching materials, and a faculty mentorship program. Competency was measured using Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs) before and after the intervention. Confidence was assessed through a 5-point Likert scale survey. Clinical outcomes, including postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) rates and neonatal complications, were monitored over three months before and after the intervention.

EVIDENCE WHERE RELEVANT:
OSCE scores increased from a baseline average of 56% to 86% post-intervention (p < 0.01). The proportion of students reporting feeling “confident” or very confident rose from 40% to 85%. Facility data indicated a decrease in PPH rates from 14% to 9%, while early neonatal complications declined by 18% post-intervention.

KEY MESSAGE:
Investing in practical, competency-based midwifery education and mentorship can lead to better-trained providers and contribute to safer childbirth outcomes. Poster session 3 (Group B)