Teamwork Under Pressure: OB Emergency Simulation with Nursing, Midwifery & Nurse Anesthesia Students
Abstract
Background: Midwives, nurses and nurse anesthetists frequently work together in one of the most enduring and consistent patient care settings, obstetrical care units. Interprofessional teamwork is a core competency for advanced practice and pre-licensure nursing students and interdisciplinary simulation offer students in prelicensure and advanced practice nursing programs the ability to collaborate, effectively communicate, and learn each other’s roles.
Methods: Faculty within a large university’s midwifery and nurse anesthesia programs designed and implemented an interdisciplinary simulation experience involving students from pre-licensure, midwifery, and nurse anesthesia cohorts. The students performed in the roles of the certified registered nurse anesthetist, certified nurse midwife, and obstetric registered nurse during a simulated obstetric emergency requiring emergent general anesthesia.
Results: Following this simulation, students completed a survey of simulation effectiveness and reported greater confidence in clinical decision making and role performance. Twenty-eight of 30 students completed the SET-M, an average of 95.1% across all measures strongly agreed the simulation improved their confidence with their roles, teamwork, and communication. During debrief, all students expressed a greater understanding of interprofessional cooperation and how their role affects the team dynamic. Faculty evaluated student performance during the simulation revealing areas of needed education and improvement.
Conclusion: Interdisciplinary simulation educational experiences can be designed and implemented within nursing curricula to enhance student proficiency in teamwork, effective communication, and professional roles and responsibilities.
Notes
References:
Ameh, C. A., Mdegela, M., White, S., & van den Broek, N. (2019). The effectiveness of training in emergency obstetric care: A systematic literature review. Health Policy and Planning, 34(4), 257-270. https: //doi.org/10.1092/heapol/czz028.
Branch, R., Cole, K., Gibbons, W., Clement, D. & Wands, L. (2025, March). Piloting an interdisciplinary simulation-based educational experience with nurse anesthesia, nurse midwifery, and prelicensure nursing students. Clinical Simulation in Nursing, 100, 101690. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecns. 2025.101690.
Bullard, M. J., Fox, S. M., Wares, C. M., Heffner, A. C., Stephens, C., & Rossi, L. (2019). Simulation-based interdisciplinary education improves intern attitudes and outlook toward colleagues in other disciplines. BMC Medical Education, 19(1), 276. https://doi.org/10.1186/ s12909-019-1700-1.
Saragih, I. D., Suarilah, I., Hsiao, C. T., Fann, W. C., & Lee, B. O. (2024). Interdisciplinary simulation-based teaching and learning for healthcare professionals: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Nurse Education in Practice, 76, Article 103920. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nepr.2024.103920.
Sigma Membership
Alpha Epsilon
Lead Author Affiliation
Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
Type
Presentation
Format Type
Text-based Document
Study Design/Type
Other
Research Approach
Other
Keywords:
Interprofessional and Interdisciplinary, Simulation, Teaching and Learning Strategies, Obstetrical Emergencies
Recommended Citation
Gibbons, Wendy R.; Branch, Russ; Cole, Katie; Clement, Desiree Mullis; and Wands, LisaMarie, "Teamwork Under Pressure: OB Emergency Simulation with Nursing, Midwifery & Nurse Anesthesia Students" (2026). International Nursing Research Congress (INRC). 151.
https://www.sigmarepository.org/inrc/2026/presentations_2026/151
Conference Name
37th International Nursing Research Congress
Conference Host
Sigma Theta Tau International
Conference Location
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Conference Year
2026
Rights Holder
All rights reserved by the author(s) and/or publisher(s) listed in this item record unless relinquished in whole or part by a rights notation or a Creative Commons License present in this item record. All permission requests should be directed accordingly and not to the Sigma Repository. All submitting authors or publishers have affirmed that when using material in their work where they do not own copyright, they have obtained permission of the copyright holder prior to submission and the rights holder has been acknowledged as necessary.
Review Type
Abstract Review Only: Reviewed by Event Host
Acquisition
Proxy-submission
Date of Issue
2026-08-12
Teamwork Under Pressure: OB Emergency Simulation with Nursing, Midwifery & Nurse Anesthesia Students
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Background: Midwives, nurses and nurse anesthetists frequently work together in one of the most enduring and consistent patient care settings, obstetrical care units. Interprofessional teamwork is a core competency for advanced practice and pre-licensure nursing students and interdisciplinary simulation offer students in prelicensure and advanced practice nursing programs the ability to collaborate, effectively communicate, and learn each other’s roles.
Methods: Faculty within a large university’s midwifery and nurse anesthesia programs designed and implemented an interdisciplinary simulation experience involving students from pre-licensure, midwifery, and nurse anesthesia cohorts. The students performed in the roles of the certified registered nurse anesthetist, certified nurse midwife, and obstetric registered nurse during a simulated obstetric emergency requiring emergent general anesthesia.
Results: Following this simulation, students completed a survey of simulation effectiveness and reported greater confidence in clinical decision making and role performance. Twenty-eight of 30 students completed the SET-M, an average of 95.1% across all measures strongly agreed the simulation improved their confidence with their roles, teamwork, and communication. During debrief, all students expressed a greater understanding of interprofessional cooperation and how their role affects the team dynamic. Faculty evaluated student performance during the simulation revealing areas of needed education and improvement.
Conclusion: Interdisciplinary simulation educational experiences can be designed and implemented within nursing curricula to enhance student proficiency in teamwork, effective communication, and professional roles and responsibilities.
Description
This simulation was designed to bring different disciplines (nursing, midwifery, nurse anesthesia) together to manage an obstetric emergency, improve teamwork, communication, and optimize patient and newborn outcomes.