Simulation-Based Mentorship Project in Rural Nepal
A collaboration with One Heart Worldwide supported by simulators from the Buy One, Gift One program has reached nearly 800 midwives, strengthening newborn and maternal health care in rural Nepal.
In 2023, One Heart Worldwide (OHW) and Laerdal Global Health made a partnership agreement to collaborate to improve maternal and newborn health in Nepal. OHW works in remote areas of rural Nepal, to save lives and promote the well-being of pregnant women and newborns.
To address the scarcity of skilled healthcare providers and strengthen maternal and newborn health systems, OHW's strategic plan includes the implementation of simulation-based training and mentorship. This program has proven effective in enhancing the quality of Maternal Newborn Health services in public health facilities.
Together with the government of Nepal, OHW and Laerdal initiated the Simulation Based Mentorship Program (SBMP) as their flagship project. The program focuses on rural districts that are hard to access, where the need for improved workforce development is greatest. Launched in June 2020, the program aims to upgrade the clinical skills and knowledge of midwife nurses, training them as Skilled Birth Attendants (SBA) and clinical mentors. Hands-on simulation-based training, facilitated by donated MamaNatalie and MamaBirthie simulators through the Buy-One-Gift-One program, provides realistic experiences for managing birth complications.
Key achievements
- Training of nurses to become clinical mentors
- Simulation-based training and onsite coaching and mentoring to approximately 774 nurse midwives in Nepal
- The program expanded from two to four districts in 2022, with plans for a national scale up
Buy One, Gift One Program
For every birthing simulator bought through Laerdal Medical for use in a high-income country a MamaBirthie or MamaNatalie simulator is donated to a low-income country to increase the impact of selected partnership programs. So far, simulators have been donated in 40 countries.
Under the Simulation-Based Mentorship Program, 50 sets of MamaBirthie and MamaNatalie simulators, along with Helping Mothers Survive Bleeding After Birth materials, have been provided. These simulators are used to provide opportunities for continued refresher training for nurses to maintain their competencies for clinical practice.
This has helped the whole health post team to be better prepared. This has been such a great training and we have also learned a great deal to gain more confidence as mentors. I have seen a lot of improvements in the skills and knowledge of many nurses whom I had trained.