Social media in nursing and midwifery education: A 20-year bibliometric analysis

To provide insights into scientific publications, research trends and knowledge gaps on social media in nursing and midwifery education BACKGROUND: Social media is widely used in nursing and midwifery education to support learning.

Bibliometric analysis METHODS: Scopus was searched using key terms (2004-2023). Results were screened on Rayaan for relevancy leaving 481 studies. Microsoft Excel and VOSviewer aided the bibliometric analysis to understand the volume and scope of research on social media in nursing and midwifery education.

Pedagogical research on social media in nursing and midwifery increased steadily since 2004, with a slight decrease in 2022 possibly due to the coronavirus pandemic. The countries which published most in the field were the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Canada and their institutions and researchers had numerous co-authorship links with others across the globe. Six main research themes emerged - 1) diversity of social media, 2) learning on social media, 3) impact of social media during COVID-19, 4) professionalism on social media, 5) interprofessional education and 6) pedagogy in social media education.

Pedagogical research on social media in nursing and midwifery education is growing. This evidence can help educators and students make the most of these dynamic technologies for learning. Further research into newer online platforms such as Instagram, TikTok and LinkedIn, exploring social media for the continuing professional development of nurses and midwives and more rigorous experimental research examining the effect these technologies have on the learning outcomes of students and practitioners to inform educational practice.