Twitter, Millennials, and Nursing Education Research

Area of Science:

• Nursing Research
• Educational Technology
• Social Media in Healthcare

Background:

• Social networking platforms like Twitter are effective communication tools, especially for millennials.
• Literature on millennial student characteristics informed the choice of Twitter for intervention delivery.
• Understanding generational communication preferences is key in modern research.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate Twitter as a method for delivering interventions in a multisite nursing research study.
• To explore the feasibility and student reception of using Twitter in an academic setting.
• To assess the utility of social media for enhancing nursing education.

Main Methods:

• Ahern's Model of Adolescent Resilience provided the theoretical framework.
• The study involved 70 junior-level baccalaureate nursing students aged 19-23.
• Participants were recruited from two state-supported universities for this experimental study.

Main Results:

• Twitter proved to be a convenient, cost-effective, and enjoyable method for intervention delivery.
• Both experimental and control groups reported positive experiences using Twitter.
• The platform facilitated researcher-student interaction and engagement.

Conclusions:

• Social media, specifically Twitter, can be a valuable tool in nursing research and education.
• Findings support using social media to boost faculty-student engagement and critical reflection.
• Twitter can enhance social support, reinforce learning, and build a stronger sense of community in academic programs.