Become an FHM Instructor

To become an approved Intermediate Workshop Instructor, you must:

• Successfully complete the Intermediate Instructor Workshop.
• • To be eligible to attend an Intermediate Instructor Course you must:
    • Be an AWHONN full member
    • Maintain active licensure as a registered nurse or physician
    • Have a minimum of two years of recent experience in fetal monitoring
    • Have current clinical involvement in fetal monitoring (FHM) as a staff nurse, physician, manager, clinical nurse specialist, advanced practice registered nurse, certified midwife (registered midwife in Canada), or educator that includes responsibilities for assessment of EFM clinical skills of others
    • Maintain professional development in intrapartum, antepartum, high-risk care, and FHM through attendance at relevant continuing education activities
    • Successfully complete the current edition Intermediate Fetal Monitoring Course within three years of the Intermediate Instructor Course
    • Complete an Intermediate FHM teach-back Course
    • Complete the Conflict of Interest, Licensing Agreement, and Financial Declaration Statements annually.

• • Instructor Candidates Responsibilities:
    • What is the responsibility of the Intermediate Instructor Candidate?
      • Must arrange for the Teach Back evaluation
      • Have up to one year and two opportunities to be successful in presenting the Teach Back Intermediate FHM Course
      • Must teach a minimum of 25% of the Intermediate Course for the Teach Back and the 25% must include portions of both the lecture and the skills components.

If a second Teach Back is required, it is strongly recommended the same Instructor Trainer or Designated Instructor evaluates the second experience. This teach back course must be successfully completed within one year of the Intermediate Instructor Course.

Instructor Candidates & Evaluations

Participants who successfully complete the Intermediate Instructor Course are considered “Instructor Candidates” until successful completion of a teach back Intermediate Course evaluated by an Instructor Trainer or Intermediate Course Designated Instructor.

A Designated Instructor is required to have taught at least 4 Intermediate Courses, maintain 4.0 overall average scores on course evaluations and has been approved by AWHONN headquarters.

 To Maintain Intermediate Instructor Status

Minimum requirements to maintain Intermediate Instructor status include:

• Maintain AWHONN full membership.
• Effective May 31, 2023, Instructors are required to hold certification by the National Certification Corporation in Inpatient Obstetric Nursing (RNC-OB®) or Electronic Fetal Monitoring (C-EFM®).
• Teach a minimum of 2 applicable courses over 2 years.
• Maintain scores of 4.0 or above on a 5.0 scale, calculated from participant evaluations, in each course. This excludes the teach back course.
• Teach in accordance with the policies and procedures governing the Intermediate Course, as described in the “Instructor Guide” and the Beat Goes On Instructors are responsible for presentation quality.

Some Intermediate Course Instructors choose to become Advanced Course Instructors as well. Requirements for consideration for progression to this level include having taught a minimum of four Intermediate Courses with feedback scores 4 and above on all elements; completed the current edition Advanced Course; ongoing AWHONN full membership and completion of an application for the Advanced Instructor level.

To maintain Advanced Course Instructors status, individuals must:

• maintain current AWHONN full membership at all times;
• effective May 31, 2023, Instructors are required to hold certification by the National Certification Corporation in Inpatient Obstetric Nursing (RNC-OB®) or Electronic Fetal Monitoring (C-EFM®);
• achieve evaluation scores of at least 4.0 on all course components;
• teach a minimum of two Advanced Fetal Monitoring Courses within a two-year period
  (expectation is to teach a minimum of 25% of course content with each course);
• teach courses according to all AWHONN administrative procedures and guidelines

The following are requirements to maintain Instructor Status for those who teach both the Advanced
and the Intermediate Fetal Monitoring Courses:

• maintain current AWHONN full membership at all times
• effective May 31, 2023, Instructors are required to hold certification by the National Certification Corporation in Inpatient Obstetric Nursing (RNC-OB®) or Electronic Fetal Monitoring (C-EFM®);
• achieve evaluation scores of at least 4 on all course components;
• teach a minimum of one Intermediate and one Advanced Fetal Monitoring Course in a
  two- year period (expectation is to teach a minimum of 25% of each course);
• teach courses according to all AWHONN administrative procedures and guidelines.
  Advanced Course Instructor are required to be knowledgeable about maternal physiologic changes of
  pregnancy related to intrapartum complications; fetal physiology; fetal arrhythmias; identification and
  management of complex fetal heart rate monitoring patterns and communication and risk management
  issues.