Workshops
We will have Half Day Workshops on Friday, October 10, 2025 from 8:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m., 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. and Full Day Workshops from 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Half Day Workshops | 8:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Evidence-Based Care for Patients in Larger Bodies: A Toolkit Approach
Weight bias is pervasive in healthcare and the adverse effects on patients and their sexual and reproductive health outcomes are well documented. The adverse health disparities deepened by weight bias can be reversed, but this will not happen without reimagining the approach to caring for patients in larger bodies. From understanding the harms of centering health care delivery around body size to implementing strategies that mitigate weight bias in the practice environment, this four-hour workshop prepares clinicians, educators, researchers, and policymakers with a trauma-informed, harm-reduction approach to caring for patients in larger bodies. Using a toolkit approach, attendees will be introduced to immediate action steps that can be implemented in care of patients in larger bodies.
Navigating Obstetric Triage: Gaining Confidence and Expertise for Midwifery Students, New Providers, and Those Expanding Their OBED Skill Set
Obstetric triage is a critical yet underdeveloped area of midwifery education, requiring providers to rapidly assess and prioritize pregnant individuals presenting with a range of concerns, from routine evaluations to life-threatening emergencies. This interactive, four-hour workshop equips midwifery students, new providers, and those expanding their OBED skill set with essential triage competencies beyond standard midwifery training.
Participants engage in case-based learning, hands-on simulation, and structured discussions to enhance clinical decision-making, differential diagnosis, and risk assessment. The session introduces validated triage tools (MFTI, PGTI), addresses systemic challenges such as misdiagnosis and care delays, and strengthens interprofessional communication for effective patient management. A dynamic “escape room”-style simulation challenges participants to apply knowledge in real-time, reinforcing their ability to function in high-acuity OB triage environments.
This workshop bridges the gap between core midwifery competencies and advanced triage expertise, ensuring attendees leave with increased confidence, proficiency in standardized assessment tools, and a structured approach to clinical prioritization. By focusing on legal frameworks (EMTALA), triage protocols, and equity in care, this session prepares midwives for real-world, high-pressure scenarios. Midwives at all levels will gain practical skills applicable across diverse settings, improving patient safety and efficiency in obstetric triage.
Navigating Your Career: Emerging to Sage Midwife
This workshop is designed for students and experienced midwives trying to navigate the current, unstable workforce environment. Common needs range from securing a first job, negotiating undesirable job conditions (individually or in a group practice), and evaluating benefits and consequences around changing jobs. Each require informed reflection, significant preparation, and self-advocacy. This highly interactive 4-hour workshop will provide information on how to assess and negotiate one’s wants/needs, how to leverage worth, and experiential guidance on how to persuade others in difficult conversations. In learning the art of negotiation individuals benefit from practicing in low-risk environments, make mistakes, adjust without fear of failure, and reflect on performance by receiving personalized feedback. Pre-built, role-play exercises will focus on current issues in the midwifery workplace in order to improve readiness to advocate for self and the profession. The midwifery workforce is faced with a multitude of challenges including apalling job offers, uncompensated work expectations, increasing job dissatisfaction, and absence of voice or value in practice settings. Left unaddressed these issues are key contributors to the high attrition rate associated with early to mid-career midwives.
Only Now, Just This: Increasing Capacity for the Contractions of Labor and the Contractions of Life by Practicing Embodiment
In this experiential workshop, participants will integrate the evidence-base related to the impact of mindfulness on the perinatal period, and on those of us who care for people during this significant time in their lives. Through a combination of didactic teaching, discussion, and mindfulness practices, we will explore the potential of mindfulness-based programs to decrease health disparities and increase thriving in the face of chronic stress, including the chronic stress of racism. Facilitator Jen Moffitt, RN, CNM, has been teaching Mindfulness-Based Childbirth and Parenting (MBCP) in her community health center for over ten years, and will review the evidence-base surrounding this transformational program, which is being offered in 42 countries around the world. Practitioners will learn practices that can provide nourishment and encourage embodiment, whether at work or at home.
Half Day Workshops | 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Are They Crowning Yet? Precepting Students Through the Birth of a Midwifery Career.
Taking on the role of preceptor in a busy clinical practice can be daunting, yet the future growth of midwifery relies on this model of education. This workshop will provide midwives with the tools to successfully incorporate precepting into clinical practice by addressing benefits of knowledge sharing as well as strategies for time management and providing meaningful feedback to learners.
Manual and Digital Rotation of the Occiput Posterior Fetus—New Developments and a Roadmap for Change
Occiput posterior (OP) positioning during childbirth can lead to longer labor lengths and increased maternal and infant morbidity. While OP positioning may resolve spontaneously in labor, approximately 10-15% of babies remain in the OP position at the time of delivery. Manual rotation to Occiput Anterior (OA) position may be beneficial in labor management due to the smaller biparietal diameter of the fetal head. Manual rotation was first described in the literature in 1971. It has since been studied in cohort studies and more recently in randomized controlled trials along with interventions to reduce OP incidence such as maternal positioning in side-lying or hands and knees position, the peanut ball, and the use of fabric (Rebozo technique) to encourage physiologic positioning. This workshop will provide participants with a review of recent research, including the use of sonography for diagnosis and management, the prognostic significance of acyncliticism and deflexion, and will provide hands on practice in manual rotation, as well as an introduction to the use of the rebozo and other tools to promote physiologic rotation.
Midwives LEAD 2.0: Lead, Engage, Ascend, Deliver: Cultivating Leadership for Sustainable Practice
This four-hour foundational workshop is designed for students, new midwives, and current and aspiring practice leaders to develop leadership skills using the updated curriculum Midwives LEAD —Learn, Engage, Ascend, Deliver. Participants will engage in self-reflection and values orientation activities to understand their leadership strengths and areas for growth. Through case studies, interactive discussions, and structured exercises, participants will explore leadership frameworks to enhance essential skills such as communication, self-awareness, and operational execution.
A key focus of the session is transformational leadership, which is critical for influencing positive change in clinical practice, education, advocacy, and policy. Participants will work in mentor-led small groups of students, new graduates, and experienced clinical leaders to engage in meaningful dialogue about leadership challenges and opportunities in midwifery.
Using the BRAVING framework, participants will develop strategies to build trust and accountability within their teams. They will also practice navigating difficult conversations, addressing professional isolation, and mitigating burnout. By the end of the workshop, participants will have a clear action plan for their personal leadership development, equipping them with the confidence and tools to apply leadership skills effectively across various midwifery roles and healthcare settings.
Obstetrical Biomechanics of a Squat - Is a squat a squat?
You might have heard that squatting is great for labor! Did you know that when and how you squat makes a difference? Let's take a deeper dive at what actually happens during a squat, why mechanics matter, and how to squat to effectively open the pelvic diameters in unmedicated-and medicated- labor and birth
Step Up Together: Using Drill Kits to Run Effective Emergency Transfer Drills from the Community to Hospital Setting
Emergency transfers from community birth settings to receiving hospitals are critical moments that require seamless teamwork, rapid decision-making, and effective communication. While simulated drills can improve all of these, many teams lack structured training in conducting interdisciplinary transfer drills. This interactive, 4-hour workshop will equip participants working in both community and hospital settings with the skills to run and debrief emergency transfer drills using Step Up Together Drill Kits.
Participants will learn the fundamentals of conducting drills and then participate in a live transfer drill, guided by participants themselves. This will be followed by a structured debrief and transition into transfer drill best practices. Facilitators will provide participants with examples of concrete tools, scripts, and checklists to improve transfer processes in both the community and receiving hospitals. Teams will then run another drill implementing these standardized tools, followed by a structured debriefing session to analyze performance and identify areas for improvement. Finally, facilitators will guide attendees on how to implement and customize transfer drills in their own settings for sustainable change.
After training, participants will have the confidence and practical tools needed to lead structured, high-impact transfer drills in their own communities—ultimately improving maternal and neonatal safety.
Full Day Workshops | 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
CNMA Abortion Training
This workshop covers everything needed to provide options counseling, medication abortion, and telehealth abortion, as well as values clarification. At the end of the training, you’ll be ready to implement what you've learned into your practice immediately with template policies and procedures, standardized procedures, competency validation documents, and patient handouts.
For those attendees in California, this training meets all of the requirements under California law to allow nurse-midwives and nurse practitioners to independently provide first-trimester medication abortion care.
The in-person training prepares CNMs, NPs, and PAs to provide first-trimester manual vacuum aspiration abortion care. For midwives and nurse practitioners in California, this training meets the requirements under SB 1375, allowing you to practice without physician supervision.
Electronic Fetal Monitoring: A Standardized Approach
Standardizing fetal surveillance in the obstetric environment is a key element in enhancing patient safety. Assessment and management of fetal heart rate and uterine activity patterns, particularly in the intrapartum setting, should be viewed as a critical part of patient safety efforts, given the burden on adverse maternal-fetal outcomes and liability. Unfortunately, after several decades of clinical use, there remain many uncertainties surrounding intrapartum monitoring and the related decision-making processes. This is largely due to historical variability in surveillance approaches. Midwives, with their expertise and skills, are essential for delivering high-quality intrapartum care. Therefore, continuous education incorporating contemporary research is vital for ensuring patient safety and improving perinatal outcomes. This workshop will provide an overview of the principles of maternal-fetal and utero-placental physiology, as well as using a standardized approach to fetal monitoring interpretation and management. Special circumstances that will be addressed include gestational age thresholds, monitoring trauma patients, and assessing the fetus during maternal cardiac arrest. Additionally, the workshop will provide objective documentation methods to help minimize liability in the intrapartum setting.
Leading a Midwifery Practice: How and Why
An 8-hour interactive workshop for midwifery clinical practice leaders (and aspiring leaders). Explores components of leadership, financial management, strategic planning, staffing, quality management and performance evaluation. Participants will receive a workbook which includes all workshop slides, example forms for processes discussed, and worksheets to outline their own next steps and action plans. Workshop presented by Susan DeJoy, CNM (ret), PhD at the request of ACNM. Workshop done several times, always well attended with positive evaluations. Needs to be full day.
Show Me the Money: Funding your Research or Advocacy Work
Have great ideas for research, midwifery education, or advocacy? Don't have a personal trust-fund or unlimited income? Ah, the amazing things we could do if we only had funding! Until midwifery research and advocacy has its own dedicated benefactor, we'll have to invest our time in writing grant applications. Writing applications for funding can be daunting - and even navigating the instructions for the funding applications can be a barrier to starting the process. This workshop will serve as a launching pad for those who have a seedling of an idea or for those looking to revise an application that has been reviewed but not yet funded. Participants will workshop their grant funding ideas in this 8 hour session--sharing and learning together. Together participants will learn and apply step-by-step methods for getting organized, getting strategic, and enhancing the all important "specific aims" page of your proposal. We will navigate some fatal flaws in applications and lessons learned through participants' own experiences of success and opportunities for growth. Resources for future coaching, writing accountability and finding new funding avenues will be offered. Optional: attendees may submit materials for peer review prior to the workshop.
The Midwife as Surgical First Assistant at Cesarean
Many midwives expand their practice beyond core competencies to include the role of surgical first assistant during cesarean and OB/GYN procedures in their practice. The midwife first assistant role combines knowledge of the procedure with development of technical surgical skills to allow midwives to be active first assistants during surgery. The associated continuity of care can enhance women’s experience and safety during cesarean.
Performance as the first assistant requires thorough knowledge of expected preoperative assessment, application of surgical aseptic technique, case-specific surgical instruments, relevant surgical anatomy, AORN perioperative standards, techniques and skills used during the surgical procedure, as well as the communication and interpersonal skills to function effectively as a member of the perioperative team throughout the perioperative period.
What Every Midwife Needs to Know About Breastfeeding and Lactation
This workshop will begin by introducing the crucial role of breastfeeding education with a focus on active learning. We will provide midwives with the knowledge and skills needed to care for lactating families. The workshop will increase confidence when midwives encounter situations for which they have little or no experience regarding lactation complexities. By increasing knowledge, skills and confidence, we will also decrease the inadvertent contribution to the disparities in care often faced by these patients. This workshop is innovative both in its topic and presentation style. This topic has not been presented in such format at prior ACNM annual meetings. Nevertheless, patients with breastfeeding and lactation issues present to all midwife clinics and midwives should be prepared to help and guide them. This workshop will combine didactic and interactive, hands-on learning. We will utilize case-based learning, simulation, and opportunities to explore tools frequently encountered in breastfeeding and lactation situations.
"Board Prep Party: the AMCB Certification Exam Prep Workshop”
Over the course of a day, participants will review pertinent content and test-taking strategies to prepare for the AMCB Certification exam for Certified Nurse-Midwives and Certified Midwives. Participants will learn innovative test-taking tips to help them tackle the exam and gain confidence in approaching standardized exam questions. Content covered will include Primary Care, GYN, Antepartum Care, Intrapartum Care, Postpartum Care, Newborn Care. All topic areas are based on the AMCB candidate catalog Midwifery Skills Task list. The teaching will cater to students of all learning styles using visual, auditory, kinesthetic, and tactile modalities. The material will be broken down into bite-size chunks with a lot of humor and laughter threaded in! Sometimes we learn from the most ridiculous memory devices- but it will stick! The content presented is based on Varney’s Midwifery textbook and participants will leave with flashcard decks for all content areas. Practice exam questions from “Kelsey’s Midwifery & Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner Certification Review Guide” by Nagtalon-Ramos and Escobar will be sprinkled throughout the workshop. *Important: This one-day workshop does not substitute for the intensive review of content required to prepare for the AMCB certification exam.
"Mastering Suturing Skills: A Hands-On Workshop for Midwives"
This presentation proposes a hands-on suturing workshop designed to enhance midwives’ skills in perineal repair and episiotomy management. Skilled suturing is critical for reducing complications, promoting healing, and improving patient outcomes during childbirth. However, many midwives report limited training opportunities in this area. This workshop aims to address this gap by providing practical, evidence-based training to improve confidence and competence in suturing.