The virtual international day of the midwife: Social networking for continuing professional development

In order to maintain competence to practice, midwives must become lifelong learners and engage in education and CPD activities. The Virtual International Day of the Midwife event (VIDM) is a free online annual synchronous conference that uses social networking tools to bring midwives together to network, share research and practice information. This paper presents the evaluation based on the 2010 and 2011 events. Participants appreciated the opportunity to be able to network with colleagues in an international context, believed the event provided access to quality material and presenters, and valued the accessibility and availability of the event and resources. Participants suggested that the event could be improved by making the program more accessible, with sessions spread over several days, as opposed to 24 hours; providing information about appropriate netiquette and extensive advertising. Further research is required to investigate how social networking and initiatives such as the VIDM impact on practice in the long term.