BACKGROUND:
Student midwives frequently encounter bereaved parents in clinical practice; however, the experience of caring for them can be a significant source of stress. Whilst the use of simulation to teach bereavement care is considered a powerful experiential form of learning, evidence for its effectiveness as a transformative learning strategy is limited

OBJECTIVES:
To explore student midwives’ lived experience of caring for bereaved parents experiencing perinatal loss using actor-based simulation

METHODS:
A purposive sample of nine 2nd year student midwives participated in an actor-based bereavement simulation scenario. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis was conducted to gain a deep understanding of the meaning of the experience using semi-structured interviews. Transformative Learning Theory was applied as an analytical framework to illustrate how the student midwives made sense of and learnt from the simulated experience

RESULTS:
Three themes emerged from the analysis ‘a rollercoaster of emotions’; ‘trying to console and making things easier’; ‘A unique learning experience’

CONCLUSIONS:
The study highlighted the important role of simulation as a model of bereavement education that equips students with the necessary knowledge, skills, and confidence to provide compassionate, respectful care to bereaved parents experiencing perinatal loss.

KEY MESSAGE:
The emotional toll of caring for bereaved parents is significant. Higher education institutions should adopt experiential forms of learning using actor-based simulation scenarios to emotionally prepare students to holistically care for parents affected by perinatal loss Poster session 3 (Group B)