The RCM Education Conference - March 2017

After entering a competition, a student colleague and I won the opportunity to speak at the RCM Education Conference in Glasgow. We presented in the Japanese presentation style of Pecha Kucha to a large group of delegates who’s professions ranged from University Lecturers, Heads of Midwifery, RCM Representatives and many more.

Our subject was on the Social Media platform Twitter as a Learning Innovation under the following abstract:

Innovations in clinical practice are happening every day, with handheld records becoming a thing of the past and women reaching to the internet for answers as well as just her midwife. Midwifery Education needs to keep up with the fast pace of these changes and utilise them to transform the learning experiences of the Midwives of the future. For many students, Social Media (#SoMe) is the go-to for social engagement, event planning and even problem solving. To harness this within Midwifery Education would enhance learning and encourage thought-provoking discussion around current topics, new research and Global Midwifery. To achieve this, engagement with Twitter should be promoted throughout the educational hierarchy. By making Twitter a compulsory part of registration, students can follow individual University and Faculty hashtags to engage with Lecturers, discuss their learning experiences and participate in #twitterchats to develop their education. Students have instant access to the extensive community of Midwifery including high profile leaders from local Heads of Midwifery, Consultant Midwives to even @LesleyPageRCM herself! The potential for Twitter as the future of Midwifery Education innovation is monumental, however a campaign to maximise its educational benefit would need to be implemented. Starting with collaboration between University Midwifery Societies centralised through the @RCM_SMF, a Twitter policy for students should be established and engagement promoted. If awareness is raised, student involvement will increase, prompting a revolution in teaching and learning within Midwifery Education.

The opportunity allowed us to develop our confidence and communication skills from what was my first ever Conference presentation. We loved the chance to promote something that we are passionate about and encourage all healthcare professionals to get on Twitter, under the hashtag #GetYourTweetOn.

 

 

We are really excited to present a similar presentation at the Coventry Faculty of Health and Life Sciences Conference next week!

 

 

Personally managed births to go: 17