Midwifery Skills Workshop: Help from those who have organized or attended one

[Maggi315]

HI everyone:

We are going to be having a local skills workshop for some of our apprentices and helpers this weekend. I wrote out a draft for the day to include what we wanted to cover and send that out. We haven't done one before, we aren't charging, and we are having it at one of the midwives homes.

I am wondering what other workshops have done as far as handouts? Was everything in a binder? How much information?

What about set up? Is that already done? Did you move from station to station?

I teach nursing students at a community college and am thinking of setting it up like I do when we do lab skills. We have a table set up with the skills we are teaching, an outline of what is expected for that particular skill (like a checkoff list), and if it's something like blood pressure, each student would get some kind of practice sheet. They would have time to practice and record findings on one another. They would also be expected to go home and practice and get so many done by next lab class. Of course, in nursing school, we also have videos and quizzes they must do before they can come to the lab skills. We aren't doing that for the skills workshop, but I think in the future that's a great idea.

Anyone have ideas? Been to one and can share what it's like? What materials and handouts you got?

Thanks!

[phathui5]

Because you are talking about doing handouts and possibly a binder, I would recommend charging at least enough to cover your costs.

[Maggi315]

Yes, the cost of these might get expensive. I think what we might end up going is just a folder with a few handouts and some skills (copied from ideas from the lab where I teach similar skills) and then have links and website information where everyone can go if they wish.

This is just a "feeler" workshop and one that will help the women who want to assist/start apprenticing in our area. I think it will serve as a thermometer of sorts to let us know what the interest is for future workshops that we would charge for and have more formal skills and teaching.

I know there is definitely a need for more workshops and I'd like to see them modeled after my nursing school lab, where the skill is taught through a variety of media, practiced many times and then checked off/performed for the instructor. I worry a little that some of the workshops people are learning to put gloves on in the morning and by afternoon are practicing doing manual placenta removals! I know they are supposed to then go and apprentice to learn these skills, but I've seen and heard where they don't and think that a weekend workshop qualifies them in the skill.

I'm interested to hear how other workshops have been set up. Is it all in one room? What about supplies? Practice time? Demonstration time?