This semester, four KU nurse midwifery students funded through the MIDWIVES KAN program launched their clinical experience with a two-day intensive on the Kansas City, Kansas campus. The intensive focused on refining assessment skills and building essential competencies for midwifery practice.

Day one centered on caring for women across the reproductive lifespan. Students strengthened foundational skills such as microscope use and slide interpretation, performing Pap smears, obtaining cultures and endometrial biopsies, suturing, irrigation and debridement of abscesses and conducting sensitive examinations with confidence and compassion.

Day two brought hands-on practice in the skills that inspire future nurse-midwives. Students worked alongside an experienced, practicing nurse-midwife from The University of Kansas Health System to develop and refine critical birth skills, including hands-on maneuvers for birth, artificial rupture of membranes, placement of a fetal scalp electrode (using oranges for practice) and managing shoulder dystocia. The students practiced these skills repeatedly until they felt confident and prepared.

These intensives are designed to ensure students enter their clinical practicum ready to hit the ground running. Students shared how much they valued the opportunity to spend extended time practicing birth maneuvers, rupturing membranes, and placing Cook catheters in a supportive learning environment.