Hands-on OB training helps rural hospitals prepare for emergencies

Methodist Women’s Hospital is bringing hands-on training to nurses and providers from hospitals across Nebraska and Iowa, helping rural medical teams prepare for potentially life-threatening situations during childbirth.

The hospital’s OB Skills Fellowship includes classroom instruction on labor, pregnancy-related cardiovascular and hypertension disorders and obstetric emergencies.

During one recent training, participants practiced responding to a precipitous delivery when labor and delivery happen very quickly, complicated by shoulder dystocia, an emergency in which a baby’s shoulder becomes lodged during delivery.

Clinical nurse educator for Methodist Women's Hospital Outreach Kayla Brickell says simulations allow nurses and providers to practice their roles in a realistic setting.

The outreach program works with about 46 hospitals throughout Nebraska and Iowa. Each class typically has about 30 participants, including nurses and providers from rural communities.

KETV: Hands-on OB training helps rural hospitals prepare for emergencies