Orientation of OB/GYN residents to ambulatory care. A nurse-midwifery approach

Although certified nurse-midwives collaborate with ob/gyn residents in teaching settings, they are rarely given the opportunity to have input into how residents learn to deliver ambulatory care. This study is a preliminary evaluation of a program in which one nurse-midwife was assigned responsibility for the orientation and preceptorship of all post-graduate year 1 residents to the ambulatory care setting in an inner-city women's health center. At the end of the academic year, all of the post-graduate year 1s completed an evaluation of their orientation. Findings included positive responses to the preceptorship orientation and agreement that the residents were comfortable with the competence and educational background of the CNM preceptor. The recurring theme was that orientation by a CNM was an appropriate learning experience. Suggestions for improvement of the program are included.