In Norway approximately 700 midwives work at community level, and every year about 340 unplanned deliveries take place outside of hospital. In Valdres four midwives are responsible for a district with a total area of 5,406 km2 and about 120 deliveries yearly. Their job is primarily to follow up pregnant women, determine onset of labor, and if necessary, accompany laboring women on their way to the nearest hospital. The community midwives are the ones responsible if a delivery takes place before the laboring woman arrives at the hospital.
With only four days at a delivery ward included in their job, training is important to increase confidence and patient safety.
Due to the 200 km distance between the ExAC office and Valdres, it was not an option to arrange a physical simulation training with only four midwives; that would be too expensive.
Therefore ExAC decided to arrange the first long distance training with these fantastic midwives. ExAC Education, the ExAC tutorials and teaching material for prehospital personnel, provided a solid background prior to the simulation training on the ExAC Trainer, with instruction from a ExAC representative through Zoom.
"We were very satisfied with the teaching. The teaching material we received prior to the workshop was a useful preparation and the combination of instruction through zoom and practicing on the simulation doll was perfect for a small group like us.
We are very surprised by the fact that non of us had heard about external aortic compression prior to this and that it was so easy to perform. It is strange that it is such a difference between the Norwegian and Swedish recommendations for management of PPH." Live Grindaker Midwife