Development of Natural Rubber-Based Simulators for Normal Labor and Realistic Placental Delivery Training

Abstract

Background and Objective This research and development study aimed to design and develop an innovative natural rubber-based simulator for training in normal labor and realistic placental delivery.
Methods The study was conducted in three phases. Phase 1 explored problems and needs related to childbirth and realistic placental delivery simulators through focus group discussions with six nursing personnel, including nursing instructors, laboratory committee members, and laboratory staff, as well as six fourth-year nursing students. Phase 2 involved the design and development of the simulator in three steps: 1) constructing the simulator using natural rubber materials, 2) evaluating its quality by five experts, and 3) pilot testing with 30 professional nurses working in labor rooms. Phase 3 examined the simulator’s effectiveness by comparing the mean scores of placental delivery skill performance between the developed simulator and the conventional model. The sample consisted of 46 fourth-year nursing students. Research instruments included a semi-structured interview form, a simulator quality assessment form, a realistic placental delivery skill assessment form, and a satisfaction questionnaire. The content validity indices were 0.92, 1.00, and 0.90, respectively, while the reliability coefficients were 0.91, 0.86, and 0.79, respectively. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, and qualitative data were analyzed through content analysis.
Results The developed innovation consisted of a half-body female childbirth simulator, a realistic placental delivery device set, a placental model, and a male newborn model. Professional nurses evaluated the simulator quality at a very high level overall (M = 4.75, S.D. = 0.34). Effectiveness testing showed that nursing students achieved significantly higher mean scores in placental delivery skills using the developed simulator (M = 5.87, S.D. = 0.34) compared with the conventional model (M = 0.26, S.D. = 0.44), with statistical significance at p < .001. Overall satisfaction with the simulator among nursing students was rated at the highest level (M = 4.70, S.D. = 0.20).
Conclusion and Recommendations The developed simulator was easy and convenient to use and provided realistic training experiences for normal labor and placental delivery skills. The simulator effectively enhanced learning experiences and practical skill development. Future development should improve the placental delivery mechanism to enable more natural placental expulsion, closely simulating real childbirth conditions.