Build Confidence and Proficiency in Future Midwives
Co-developed with the International Confederation of Midwives, ICM Midwifery Competencies is a solution to help midwifery educators prepare students for clinical practice.
Using the SimCapture digital platform, student access content that is both based on and compliant with “The ICM Essential Competencies for Midwifery Practice (2024)”. They train with their peers to get the critical knowledge, skills, and professional behaviors required when entering midwifery practice.
Bring extensive training opportunities to your midwifery program:
Peer-to-peer practice for more frequent hands-on training prior to graduation
Measuring competencies with data that automatically tracks students' performance, eliminating the need for manual processing
With expert-validated content, assign students learning activities in accordance with the ICM's Essential Competencies for Midwifery Practice 2024
Adaptable to midwifery curriculum simplifying implementation
Over 50 practice sessions covering pregnancy, labor and birth and the postnatal period, family planning and safe abortion
Normal Pregnancy
Normal Pregnancy includes 4 practice sessions where each session includes:
- Preparation, including the scenario
- Practice section
- Post-reflection and debrief
SKILLS AND METHODOLOGIES COVERED
- Calculate estimated due date
- Practice antenatal assessment
- Practice abdominal palpation in the antenatal setting
- Assist a pregnant woman and her partner to develop a plan for labour and birth
EXAMPLES OF COMPETENCIES COVERED
- Demonstrate respectful and effective interpersonal communication with women and families, health care professionals, teams, and community groups
- Determine health status of women and assess pregnancy
- Assess fetal wellbeing
- Monitor and assess progression of pregnancy
- Provide anticipatory guidance related to pregnancy, birth, breastfeeding, parenthood, and change in the family
- Assist the woman and her family to plan for birth
Normal Birth
Normal Birth includes 11 practice sessions where each session includes:
- Preparation including the scenario
- Practice section
- Post-reflection and debrief
SKILLS AND METHODOLOGIES COVERED
- Practice possible positions for birth
- Mechanism of cephalic presentation during labour and spontaneous birth
- Practice midwifery care during normal birth 2nd stage
- Practice midwifery care during normal birth 3rd stage
- Practice active management of third stage of labour (AMTSL)
- Demonstrate competency in using the WHO Labour Care Guide
- Manage nuchal cord at birth
- Examination of placenta and membranes
- Measure blood loss immediately after birth
- Practice breech birth
- Practice twin birth
EXAMPLES OF COMPETENCIES COVERED
- Assume responsibility for own decisions and actions as an autonomous practitioner within the midwifery scope of practice
- Uphold fundamental human rights of individuals when providing midwifery care
- Facilitate normal/physiological birth processes in institutional and community settings, including women’s homes
- Promote normal/physiological labour and birth
- Manage a safe, spontaneous vaginal birth, prevent and manage complications
Postpartum Care
Postpartum Care includes 4 practice sessions where each session includes:
- Preparation including the scenario
- Practice section
- Post-reflection and debrief
SKILLS AND METHODOLOGIES COVERED
- Provide postpartum assessment of the new mother
- Examine, assess, support and advise on perineal and vaginal tears
- Repair of second-degree perineal tear
- NEW - Remote perinatal mental health assessment postpartum
EXAMPLES OF COMPETENCIES COVERED
- Provide postnatal care for the healthy woman
- Demonstrate respectful and effective interpersonal communication with women and families, health care professionals, teams, and community groups
- Detect, treat, and stabilise postnatal complications in women and refer as necessary
- Promote and support breastfeeding
- Adhere to national, state and local laws, regulatory requirements, and codes of conduct for midwifery practice
Complicated Birth
Complicated Birth includes 13 practice sessions where each session includes:
- Preparation including the scenario
- Practice section
- Post-reflection and debrief
SKILLS AND METHODOLOGIES COVERED
- Practice vacuum birth
- Manage shoulder dystocia
- Manage primary postpartum hemorrhage
- Management of PPH using UBT (uterine balloon tamponade)
- Practice manual removal of retained placenta
- Perform abdominal aortic compression
- Practice bimanual compression
- Manage maternal shock
- Administer local anesthesia before performing an episiotomy
- Practice an episiotomy on a woman during second stage of labour
- Advise on the warning signs of hypertensive disorders
- Management of eclampsia in pregnancy
- Prepare loading dose of Magnesium Sulphate for severe pre-eclampsia
EXAMPLES OF COMPETENCIES COVERED
- Assume responsibility for own decisions and actions as an autonomous practitioner within the midwifery scope of practice
- Collaborate effectively with other health care professionals
- Manage a safe, spontaneous vaginal birth, prevent and manage complications
- Detect, treat, and stabilise postnatal complications in women and refer as necessary
Family Planning
Family Planning includes 7 practice sessions where each session includes:
- Preparation including the scenario
- Practice section
- Post-reflection and debrief
SKILLS AND METHODOLOGIES COVERED
- Provide counselling on family planning and contraceptive methods
- Counsel and advise on emergency contraceptive pill (ECP)
- Demonstrate condom application
- Insertion of Intra Uterine Device (IUCD) in the postpartum period
- Practice removal of Intra Uterine Contraceptive Device (IUCD)
- Perform insertion of an Implant
- Supervising a midwifery student in the removal of an implant
EXAMPLES OF COMPETENCIES COVERED
- Support women to make choices and decisions about care
- Assess the health status, screen for health risks, and promote general health and wellbeing of adolescent girls, women
- Use research to inform practice
- Provide education on sexual and reproductive health, contraception and family planning
- Administration and removal of contraceptives within scope of practice
Abortion Care
Abortion Care includes 1 practice session with:
- Preparation including the scenario
- Practice section
- Post-reflection and debrief
SKILLS AND METHODOLOGIES COVERED
- Midwifery care during medical abortion
EXAMPLES OF COMPETENCIES COVERED
- Provide comprehensive abortion care within local laws
- Adhere to national, state and local laws, regulatory requirements, and codes of conduct for midwifery practice
- Provide education on sexual and reproductive health, contraception and family planning
- Prescribe, dispense and administer medicines or products
- Uphold fundamental human rights of individuals when providing midwifery care
- Support women to make choices and decisions about care
- Demonstrate respectful and effective interpersonal communication with women and families, health care professionals, teams, and community groups
General Midwifery Care
General Midwifery Care includes 7 practice sessions where each session includes:
- Preparation including the scenario
- Practice section
- Post-reflection and debrief
SKILLS AND METHODOLOGIES COVERED
- Practice respectful midwifery language
- Practice cervical screening
- Urine analysis pregnancy test
- Identifying signs of possible sexual trauma in women and adolescents
- Catheterization of a woman in labour
- Perform a vaginal examination during labour
- NEW - Counsel and advise on Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI)
EXAMPLES OF COMPETENCIES COVERED
- Assume responsibility for own decisions and actions as an autonomous practitioner within the midwifery scope of practice
- Adapt to and adopt new and emerging technologies that have been proven to enhance midwifery practice and care
- Use research to inform practice
- Uphold fundamental human rights of individuals when providing midwifery care
- Care for girls and women who experience physical and sexual violence and abuse
Newborn Care
Newborn Care includes 5 practice sessions where each session includes:
- Preparation including the scenario
- Practice section
- Post-reflection and debrief
SKILLS AND METHODOLOGIES COVERED
- Conduct initial assessment of the newborn
- Perform newborn resuscitation
- Administer BCG injection to newborn
- Support initiation of breastfeeding
- Provide kangaroo care for the premature newborn
EXAMPLES OF COMPETENCIES COVERED
- Provide care of the newborn immediately after birth
- Provide care to healthy newborn infant
- Detect, treat, and stabilise postnatal complications in women and refer as necessary
- Promote and support breastfeeding
- Detect, stabilise, and manage health problems in newborn infant and refer if necessary
- Demonstrate respectful and effective interpersonal communication with women and families, health care professionals, teams, and community groups
- Uphold fundamental human rights of individuals when providing midwifery care
Save time with expert-validated content
ICM sets global standards for midwifery education and midwifery regulation and works to strengthen professional associations of midwives throughout the world with 140 Member Associations in 119 countries.
Because SimCapture includes content verified by ICM, educators benefit by:
- Reducing the time needed to plan lessons
- Having resources that help students practice in accordance with the global ICM Essential Standards for Midwifery Practice, 2024
Focus on respectful care
Beyond skills practice, ICM Midwifery Competencies enables students to have conversations and reflect on topics such as:
- Communicating respectfully and seeking consent
- Situational awareness
- Informed choice
- Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Data-driven education is the future
Measure progress and competencies with meaningful reports
Data from student practice is automatically captured and arranged into useful reports for learning needs analysis - making it easier for faculty to track learner progress over time and to view and compare cohorts and courses.
Objective evaluation
Leverage video, data capture, skills checklists, and verified content to strengthen evaluation objectivity in formative and summative practice.

Combine ICM Midwifery Competencies with the Maternity Training Kit for a complete solution
The Maternity Training Kit is a high-impact offering with easy-to-use maternal and newborn simulators and skills trainers.
Each element is compatible with ICM Midwifery Competencies ensuring easy integration into midwifery curriculum, covering all stages of labor and birth.

Free Educational Resources
Peer-to-Peer Simulation in Healthcare
By using standardized content focusing on midwifery core competencies, students are empowered to practice together more systematically and more frequently in a peer-to-peer modality.
This methodology can increase student psychological safety and provides added flexibility and utilization of simulation facilities.
To learn more about the concept, pedagogy, and research of peer learning, download this free educational resource.