A Partnership for Patient Safety: Implementation of the Perinatal Orientation and Education Program for Navy Nurse Corps Officers

The United States Navy has heard the many voices of it beneficiaries, clinicians and providers and launched its first Perinatal training program for Nurse Corps Officers with minimal maternal-infant nursing experience who will be providing care to childbearing families in it's remote and overseas military treatment facilities.  Nursing leadership has implemented AWHONN's Perinatal Orientation and Education Program (POEP) to provide a sound research-based didactic program and added clinical training based on individual and facility-based needs assessments.  The Perinatal Pipeline training program is a 4-week program providing didactic training on key topics in maternal infant nursing and includes over 80 hours of clinical experience at the bedside.  The overall goal of the program is to provide a standardized training program meeting the mission of safe, efficient and quality patient care that is centered on the needs of it beneficiaries, clinicians and providers.