Preparation for Working in a Knowledge-Based Society: New Zealand Student Nurses’ Use of Social Media

Michelle Honey,Deborah Raphael

doi:10.3390/informatics4020008

Abstract

The increasing use of social media is revolutionizing the way students learn, communicate and collaborate. Many of the skills used with social media are similar to those needed to work in a knowledge-based society. To better understand student nurses’ use of social media in relation to their learning, an anonymous survey was distributed to all undergraduate nursing students enrolled at one nursing school in New Zealand in 2015. A 75% response rate (n = 226) found that almost all (99%) students use social media outside their studies. However, in relation to their study, 61% use social networking sites (such as Facebook) on a daily basis and only four students (2%) do not use social media at all. Professional networking sites are used far less in relation to study, with 65% not using these networks at all. The most common digital option used to communicate and work with fellow students was online groups and document sharing sites, such as Google docs, were also popular. The study provides a useful baseline on social media use by student nurses. Implications from this study include opportunities for educators to incorporate social media into teaching and learning activities, including its safe and ethical use.

Highlights

The expansion of mobile technologies and internet access, along with the increasing use of social media are revolutionizing the way students learn, communicate and collaborate [1,2]
Along with learning specific content related to courses they are taking in higher education settings, students need lifelong learning skills and preparation to work in a knowledge based society [3]
The question arose are our nursing students digitally immersed and this study explores if nursing students are using social media, and if so how do they use it in relation to their learning

Summary

Introduction

The expansion of mobile technologies and internet access, along with the increasing use of social media are revolutionizing the way students learn, communicate and collaborate [1,2]. Along with learning specific content related to courses they are taking in higher education settings, students need lifelong learning skills and preparation to work in a knowledge based society [3]. A knowledge based society is described by Punie [4] as having resulted in the need to maintain and extend existing levels of education and training and to ensure people develop new skills as the increased use of information and communication technology (ICT) is “transforming the way people work, learn, make sense of their world and have fun in a digitalised, networked and knowledge-based society” The first skill is communication and in relation to social media use communication extends beyond reading and writing to the ability “to receive and incorporate feedback, to share information appropriately, and to identify trends and ideas from elsewhere” ([3] p. 16)

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion