The Walter Reed National Military Medical Center’s Maternal Infant Care Center hosted its annual skills fair in Bethesda, Maryland, gathering nearly all of its nurses and medical staff to review high-risk obstetrical events and maintain strict healthcare accreditation standards.
Since 2021, the center has hosted its annual skills fair each October. The two-day educational event targets infrequent medical emergencies that carry severe clinical risks for delivering mothers and newborns. Robyn Daniel, the MICC’s nurse educator, leads the curriculum planning alongside a dedicated education team that reviews unit data and recent clinical events throughout the year to shape each station.
Decoding Obstetric Emergency Training at Walter Reed
“The purpose of the fair is to continuously sharpen the skillsets of our nurses,” Robyn Daniel explained. Curriculum design emphasizes mandatory clinical competencies, ensuring that circulating nurses maintain full operational readiness for complex surgical environments.
The 2026 iteration featured seven distinct interactive stations alongside a gamified review finale styled after a television game show. Clinical focus areas included hypertensive disorders of pregnancy such as preeclampsia, and active hemorrhage management via intrauterine vacuum systems and uterine balloon tamponades.
Staff also rotated through specialized modules covering sterile vaginal exams, infection control safety protocols, lactation support, and operating room procedures. A dedicated station addressed amniotic fluid embolisms, a rare and potentially life-threatening obstetric emergency that occurs when amniotic fluid accidentally enters the mother’s bloodstream.
Accreditation Benchmarks and Patient Safety Standards
Beyond routine staff development, the annual training directly supports institutional standing with accrediting organizations. The MICC utilizes the skills fair to satisfy criteria required by Baby-Friendly USA for its Baby-Friendly hospital designation.
The curriculum aligns with national patient safety benchmarks mandated by the Joint Commission. Maintaining compliance across these bodies requires documented, recurring training for all clinical personnel who manage high-acuity obstetric events.
In Plain English: The Clinical Takeaway
- High-Risk Readiness: Staff practice rare delivery complications—such as severe postpartum bleeding and amniotic fluid embolisms—using simulation equipment before real emergencies occur.
- Accreditation Compliance: The hands-on stations help the military medical center retain its official Baby-Friendly status and meet Joint Commission safety standards.
- Team Simulation: Gamified stations encourage nursing staff to collaborate and retain complex clinical protocols under simulated pressure.
Staff Engagement and Collaborative Simulation Design
Nurse educators deploy interactive themes to maximize information retention. Past fairs utilized 1990s styling and Mario-themed trivia, while the 2026 event adopted the “MICC Games” framework.
Kami Wiltshire, an MICC nurse with five years of experience on the unit, noted that the interactive format builds both competence and unit cohesion. “The skills fair isn’t just what I learn at each station, it’s also how I feel walking away from it — more connected, more confident and reenergized to do the work I love,” Wiltshire said.
Planning for the subsequent annual fair begins immediately following the conclusion of each October event. Nurse educators winnow a comprehensive list of clinical topics based on real-world cases encountered on the hospital unit.
