Implementing a Blended Coaching and E-Learning Program for Military Midwives in Benin: Lessons Learned from a Pilot Implementation Study

The Classroom Without Walls: A New Way to Train Heroes

Imagine the world of healthcare as a giant, high-stakes video game where the players are doctors and nurses, and the "boss levels" are complicated births and sick newborns. To win, these players need to keep their skills sharp, learning new moves and strategies constantly. For a long time, the only way to learn these moves was to stop playing the game entirely, fly to a big city, sit in a classroom for days, and listen to lectures. But in the real world, hospitals are busy, and taking staff away for weeks is like pausing a live match to practice drills—it's expensive and leaves the team vulnerable.

Enter a new strategy called "blended learning." Think of this not as choosing between a textbook and a video game, but as having a personal coach who shows up at your practice field while you also have a magical library in your pocket. One part is clinical mentoring, where an experienced pro stands right next to a learner, watching them work, giving instant feedback, and helping them fix mistakes on the spot. The other part is e-learning, which is like having a digital tutor available 24/7 on a phone or computer, teaching the theory whenever there's a quiet moment. This paper explores what happens when you mix these two powerful tools together to train a very specific group of heroes: military midwives in Benin. These are the women who care for the families of soldiers, working in unique military hospitals. The big question is: Can this "coach-in-the-pocket" approach actually help them get better at their jobs without breaking the bank or stopping their daily work?

The Pilot: A Training Camp for Military Midwives

In September 2025, a team of researchers decided to test this "blended" idea in the real world. They set up a pilot program in Benin, a country in West Africa, specifically targeting the Military Medical-Social Centers. These are the hospitals that serve soldiers and their families. The goal was simple: see if a mix of online lessons and on-the-job coaching could help military midwives improve their skills.

The team gathered a small squad of nine brave midwives. They split them into two groups: four were chosen as "Mentors" (the coaches) and five were "Mentees" (the learners). Before the training started, the organizers made sure everyone was ready, setting up a WhatsApp group for quick chats and getting the necessary permissions from the military health leaders.

The training itself was a two-part dance. First, the midwives logged into an online platform to study important topics like how to handle bleeding after birth, how to use a partograph (a chart that tracks labor), and how to care for newborns. It was like leveling up their knowledge base. But the real magic happened second: the clinical coaching. The mentors went to the hospitals and worked side-by-side with the mentees during their actual shifts. They used anatomical models (plastic dolls and body parts) to practice skills, watched the mentees handle real patients, and gave immediate, friendly feedback. It was like a video game "co-op mode" where the experienced player guides the new one through the level in real-time.

What They Found: High Fives and a Few Glitches

When the dust settled after the training, the results were incredibly positive. The paper suggests that this blended approach is not just a nice idea, but a feasible and acceptable way to train these midwives.

Here is the scorecard from the nine participants:

• Satisfaction: Everyone was happy. 100% of the participants said the training topics were relevant to their jobs.
• Confidence: A huge 81.7% of the group felt confident they could use their new skills immediately in their daily work.
• Mentor Growth: The coaches didn't just teach; they learned too. 100% of the mentors reported that they got better at mentoring and using digital tools.
• The Verdict: Half the group rated the program "Excellent," and the other half rated it "Good."

The participants loved the combination. They said that having the online lessons gave them the theory, but the face-to-face coaching helped them actually do it. They particularly appreciated having the anatomical models to practice on and the feeling of having a supportive team. One major takeaway was that this method didn't disrupt their work; instead, it fit right into their routine, making learning feel like part of the job rather than a burden.

The Hurdles: When the Wi-Fi Fails

However, the paper is honest about the bumps in the road. While the idea worked, the environment wasn't perfect. The biggest challenges weren't about the people, but the tools.

• The Internet: Unreliable internet connections made it hard for some to access the online parts smoothly.
• The Gear: There wasn't enough equipment or simulation models for everyone to practice on at the same time.
• The Support: The midwives felt that for this to work long-term, the military leadership needs to promise more sustained support and resources.

The Bottom Line

This study doesn't claim to have solved every problem in maternal healthcare, nor does it say this program is perfect for every single hospital in the world. Instead, it suggests that for the military midwives in Benin, this "blended" model is a strong, workable strategy. It suggests that when you combine the flexibility of digital learning with the human touch of a real-life coach, you can build a stronger, more confident team of healthcare workers.

The authors point out that because this was a small pilot with only nine people, we can't say for sure how it would work for thousands. They also note that they measured how the midwives felt about the training, rather than tracking specific medical outcomes of babies born during that time. But the message is clear: this approach is promising. It suggests that with better internet, more models, and strong backing from the top, this way of training could be scaled up to help many more midwives, ensuring that mothers and babies in military communities get the best care possible. It's a small step, but a very hopeful one.