This is the framework for a workshop I facilitated at the 2013 Australian College of Midwives conference in Hobart, on the 30th September, about midwives' use of social media. This year my focus is moving away from the actual tools, to how we use them in a professional manner.

1. Midwifery: isn't there an app for that?
Sarah Stewart & Rachel Smith 2013
Australian College of Midwives
Sarah.stewart@midwives.org.au
http://www.flickr.com/photos/54258032@N00/30944163
8

2. Objectives for today's workshop
1. Setting the scene
2. Describe some examples in which midwives use social
media for professional development
3. List some of the common social media tools that you can
use for midwifery practice
4. Explore some scenarios that present challenges for
midwives
5. Construct a plan for how you can use social media in
your own personal practice, and for local, national and
international professional communication and collaboration

3. Setting the scene
What do you already
know about social
media?
How do you use social
media, if at all?
Any particular questions
you have, or things
you want to know?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/50451886@N00/3534516458

4. You cannot ignore social media
because....
http://www.flickr.com/photos/27451852@N05/4802699353

5. the way we learn, teach, work,
play and communicate is
changing
www.flickr.com/photos/73645804@N00/440672445

6. This impacts on our relationships
with women and families...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/12706161@N03/7810800898

7. ...as well as our own learning,
professional development and
networking
http://www.flickr.com/photos/93212162@N08/8540717756

8. Gen Y & Z have grown up with
social media

9. ...and use it with mobile technology
http://www.flickr.com/photos/10565597@N00/2542177818

10. and they expect to be able to
engage with you online
http://www.flickr.com/photos/50417132@N00/490343339

11. July 2013, 17.2 million Australians
accessed the internet and spent an
average of 38 hours online across
60 sessions Nielson 2013

12. 7.3 million Australians use
Facebook on their mobile every day
Facebook 2013

13. On average, in July, Australians
spent 5 hours and 20 minutes
watching online video
Nielson 2013
http://www.flickr.com/photos/81203773@N00/411770953

14. Google,
Facebook &
YouTube
are the
top three brands
http://www.flickr.com/photos/98894117@N00/2051377206

15. 72% of internet users say they
looked online for health information
within the past year
Pew Internet and American Life Project,
2013
http://www.flickr.com/photos/72098626@N00/2681686220

16. The most commonly-
researched topics
are specific
diseases or
conditions;
treatments or
procedures; and
doctors or other
health professionals
http://www.flickr.com/photos/48819968@N00/123905
8
Pew Internet and American Life Project,
2013

17. One in five internet
users have
consulted online
reviews and
rankings of health
care service
providers and
treatments
Pew Internet and American Life Project,
2013
http://www.flickr.com/photos/15923063@N00/3440688097

18. Social media can enhance our personal
learning, professional development and
networking
Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/73645804@N00/1431384410

19. Provides personal and professional
support

20. Networking, sharing information

21. Professional collaboration

22. Become part of national and
international campaigns

23. Connect with midwives of influence

24. Connect midwives who live in rural
and remote areas

25. Organize and take part in real time
events
#hcsmanz
http://www.thechatdiary.com/wemidwives/
#wemidwives

26. Common social media tools

27. Twitter
https://twitter.com/Thinkbirth

28. Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Otago-
Polytechnic-School-of-Midwifery

29. Blog
http://www.glorialemay.com/blog

30. Wiki
http://internationaldayofthemidwife.wikispace
s.com

31. Slideshare:
http://www.slideshare.net/sarahs

32. Flickr
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bellymotherbaby/292
5283271/sizes/l/in/photostream/

33. YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=8w9WNtTAVYU

34. Google Docs
http://www.jordemoderforeningen.dk/fileadmin/Tidsskrift_for_Jord
emoedre/2012/09_2012/Will_you_be_my_friend.pdf

35. LinkedIn

36. What are the challenges?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/49512158@N00/3702176604

37. Scenario 1
A midwife has a personal Facebook page. A
pregnant client wants to “friend” her. What does
the midwife do?

38. Scenario 2
A midwife who works in a hospital finds out that
two women who have recetnyl had babies has
been making detrimental claims about her
practice on Twitter. What does she do?

39. Scenario 3
A midwife notices that a student midwife has
written some information about her clinical
placements, on her blog, that could identify the
women she has been working with. What should
the midwife do?

40. Scenario 4
A midwife has a professional Facebook page. An
ex-client tags him and writes a beautiful
comment about what a wonderful midwife he
has been. What should he do?

41. Construct a plan for how you can use
social media in your own personal
practice
What do you want to achieve?
What skills do you need to learn?
What resources do you require?
What time frame?
How will you evaluate your progress?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/72093892@N00/5302015421

42. “Focus on how to be social, not on
how to do social.”
- Jay Baer, Convince & Convert

43. Sarah Stewart
Sarah.stewart@midwives.org.au
Twitter: @SarahStewart
http://sarah-stewart.blogspot.com
http://www.facebook.com/sarahmstewart
http://www.slideshare.net/sarahs