15 Luisa Cescutti Butler and Humaira Hussain
Channel: Virtual Midwives
Date: 08/06/2020

VIDM 2020: Making discoveries through research: midwifery student’s perceptions of their role when caring for pregnant women who misuse substances: neonatal simulators as creative pedagogy.

Facilitator: Carol Maringa

Background: There is minimal research involving undergraduate midwifery students interacting with neonatal simulators as creative pedagogy.
Objectives: Midwifery students to interact with Foetal Alcohol and Drug Affected neonate simulators as a means of co-constructing knowledge around the effects of substance misuse during pregnancy and postnatally.
Design: Qualitative
Study setting and participants: Level 4 student midwives from a UK University in the South West of England.
Methods: A taught session on protecting the unborn environment; interaction with the neonatal simulators; planned activities
Results: Three broad themes: Kinaesthetic Learning, In Their Shoes and Midwifery Role in Educating Others.
Conclusions: Students as researchers emphasised the importance of interacting with the simulators as creative pedagogy as a method for enhancing their knowledge and as a means of building new knowledge. This research has helped bridge the disconnect between teaching, research and practice as students were able to reflect on their future roles as midwives.