Implementation of a smartphone-based perinatal bereavement care training program for obstetric nurses and midwives: quasi-experimental study

Abstract Background Obstetric nurses and midwives play a key role in perinatal bereavement care but often face limited training and emotional support. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a smartphone-based perinatal bereavement care training program in improving perinatal bereavement care competence (PBCC) and alleviating secondary traumatic stress (STS) and emotional exhaustion (EE) symptoms among obstetric nurses and midwives. Methods This is a quasi-experimental study. 233 obstetric nurses and midwives from a tertiary hospital in Zhejiang, China, were enrolled (127 intervention; 106 control). The intervention group received a smartphone-based training program, while the control group participated in routine learning. Outcomes were assessed at baseline, immediately post-intervention (T2), and three months later (T3) using generalized estimating equations. Results Of the 233 participants, 206 (88.4%) and 198 (85.0%) women completed follow-up visits at T2 and T3, respectively. Significant intervention effects were observed for PBCC, self-awareness, STS, and EE at both T2 and T3 (all P < .05). Organizational support improved at T2 ( P < .001) but not at T3. Conclusions This smartphone-based training program is a promising approach for perinatal bereavement care education and training. Larger multicenter randomized controlled trials with extended follow-up are warranted to confirm and expand upon these results. Hospital policymakers, administrators, and nursing leaders should adopt this digital training to address staff training gaps and strengthen sustained support for better bereavement care quality. Trial registration This trial was registered early in the study period and before participant enrollment in the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR2100049730) on August 8, 2021.