Development and Evaluation of a Simulation-Based, Medical Student Teaching Session for Communicating Bad News and Uncertainty Along the Obstetric-Neonatal Continuum

Many clinicians have limited training preparing them for delivery of bad or uncertain news to new or expectant parents. Pediatric and Women’s Health educators at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine developed a simulation-based education module for clinical clerks focused on addressing medical uncertainty and delivering bad news along the antenatal-neonatal care continuum. In this article, we highlight how this curriculum improved self-perceived student confidence when encountering difficult discussions with parents or parents-to-be. Additionally, this activity emphasized the shared medical care continuum between obstetricians and pediatricians in these clinical scenarios.