From Learners to Leaders: A Different Way to Simulate
Simulation is a core part of midwifery education, but this project set out to do something a little different.
Instead of students simply taking part in pre-written scenarios, we asked:
What happens when students design them?
Working with a cohort of Year 3 midwifery students, this pilot explored a student-authored simulation approach focused on obstetric emergencies. The aim was simple: increase confidence, deepen learning, and better prepare students for practice.
What did we do?
Students worked in small groups across a series of structured sessions to:
- Select and research obstetric emergency scenarios
- Design realistic, evidence-based simulations
- Plan pre-briefs, roles, and debriefing strategies
- Test and refine their scenarios in the simulation environment
- On the final day, students delivered their scenarios to their peers using high-fidelity simulation.
While student-led, this was not unsupported learning. The project was closely supervised by trained simulation facilitators, ensuring:
- Clinical accuracy
- Appropriate challenge
- Safe and effective learning
All debriefing was fully supported and facilitated, allowing students to reflect, consolidate learning, and explore decision-making in a structured and psychologically safe way.
What changed?
At the start, many students reported low confidence—particularly in:
- Managing obstetric emergencies
- Applying clinical guidelines
- Leading scenarios
By the end, confidence had shifted clearly across all domains, with most students reporting moderate to high confidence, especially in:
- Communication in emergencies
- Teamworking under pressure
- Understanding emergency management
Why did it work?
The key difference was ownership, supported by expert facilitation.
Students weren’t just participating, they were:
- Designing the learning
- Anticipating clinical decisions
- Thinking through scenarios in detail
This led to deeper engagement and understanding.
100% of students reported that writing and delivering their own scenarios enhanced their learning, and all would recommend the approach.
What did students say?
Students consistently highlighted:
- The interactive, hands-on nature of the sessions
- The value of peer learning
- The opportunity to apply theory in a realistic context
“It allowed us to look at the scenario in great detail, including the evidence base – so I understood it more, including how decisions were made based on different presentations at different moments.”
“Being part of it and seeing it play out in front of you, and taking part in the process, was so engaging and felt really supportive.”
More than knowledge
Beyond clinical content, students developed:
- Communication in high-pressure situations
- Teamworking and collaboration
- Leadership and decision-making
- Clinical reasoning
Importantly, many reported feeling more confident going into practice, with learning that would stay with them long-term.
Why it matters
This pilot shows that student-authored simulation, when well supported, can:
- Build confidence quickly
- Increase engagement
- Support practice-ready graduates
It offers a scalable, high-impact approach that can be applied across programmes.
What next?
There is clear potential to:
- Expand student-led simulation across the curriculum
- Introduce multidisciplinary simulation
- Embed this supported model more widely in healthcare education
Final Thought
With the right structure and facilitation, students don’t just take part in simulation, they can help shape it.
And when they do, the impact on learning is clear.
