Patterns of using social media network in pediatric nursing learning experience

Abstract

The increase in the use of social media network, evidently has become a common phenomenon in recent years. It was observed that nursing students spend much of their free time in online social networking sites, which represent a great opportunity for educators to co-operate their use for academic purposes. The aim of the study was to assess the patterns of using social media network in pediatric nursing learning experience. Design: Descriptive exploratory study. Setting: Technical Institute of Nursing affiliated to Al-Azhar University. Study subjects: A purposive sample of 60 pediatric nursing students involved in this study from the above-mentioned setting. Data collection tools: I. Structured Interviewing Questionnaire. II. The Summative sheet of students’ evaluation scores. Results: More than three quarters of the studied students there age ranged between 18-19 years. The majority of studied students using Facebook and more than two fifths of them consumed one to less than three hours in using social media network, half of the them used social media network in studying pediatric nursing courses and more than three quarters of them act as an active member in participation in a designed home page for pediatric nursing learning. Also, half of the studied students had a good perception regarding the effect of social media network in pediatric nursing learning experience. Conclusion: All the studied students had access to social media network daily through smart phones and computer for studying of pediatric nursing experience. Furthermore, there was a statistically significant difference between the patterns of using social media network and the pediatric nursing learning experience. Recommendations: Emphasize on the integration of patterns of using social media network with learning of pediatric nursing experience under protective laws and regulations. Academic support for creation of common home pages directed for learning of pediatric nursing experience.