THE LEARNING OUTCOMES:
Participants will gain confidence in their ability to support women to labor and deliver in upright positions using a variety of tools; explore how maternity units need to transform to allow for evidence-based practices to be implemented; practice and discuss effective, respectful communication and decision-making with women in labor; explore new methodologies, including virtual reality, for teaching and practicing skills for intrapartum care.

THE PROCESS/ACTIVITIES:
This session combines virtual reality and hands-on simulation tools developed by Pronto International with the International Childbirth Initiative (Heys et al, Madriz et al). This session will focus on respectful communication, upright labor and delivery, and assuring companionship in line with current WHO recommendations for intrapartum care. Small groups will rotate through stations to 1) perform a birth simulation using Partopants and a modular birth couch, practicing teamwork and communication skills; 2) experience a woman's perspective of hospital birth using virtual reality; 3) analyze how the care team in each scenario cared for the woman and did/did not respect her needs to enable a positive outcome; discuss applications of the tools and techniques in the participants' daily practice.

AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION:
Participants will role-play, engage in discussion in small groups, and individually complete pre- and post-tests. Additional reading Heys S, Downe S, McKeown M, Thomson G. The design, delivery and evaluation of 'Human Perspectives VR': An immersive educational program designed to raise awareness of contributory factors for a traumatic childbirth experience and PTSD. PLoS One. 2022 Nov 2;17(11):e0276263. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0276263 2. Madriz S, Afulani P, Spindler H, et al. Training nurse simulation educators at scale to improve maternal and newborn health: a case study from Bihar, India. BMC Med Educ. 2022;22(1):869. doi:10.1186/s12909-022-03911-9