Social Networks as a Didactic Support to Prevent Addictions in Nursing Students

Abstract

Health professionals and mainly nurses must be kept updated on context conditions where populations they have in charge, since this is the only way to maintain communication with those vulnerable groups avoiding barriers, there are topics of difficult approach such as the use and abuse of substances in adolescents, and currently adolescents communicate through social networks. We aimed to determine the influence of social networks as a pedagogic strategy in adolescents’ health education. Method: Qualitative and descriptive study with phenomenological design. Fifteen informants from nursing career participated, and selected by convenience. Data collection was through a semi-structured interview composed of 5 questions directed to informants, regarding their experience to make an informative video about use and abuse in adolescents; questions were about their experiences, found difficulties and any other element related with the making of the video, its spread, the login and acceptance that the audiovisual material had in social networks by students and the management of information with preventive goals. All final products were incorporated to a link where group members, as well as the student community, could revise the video and make comments, maintain a chat with others, and so on, a dynamic session of presentations on questions and comments was done. An informed consent was signed. Collected qualitative data were analyzed according to De Souza Minayo. Results: Three categories emerged with nine sub-categories, Category 1: Influence of social networks on students, sub-categories: 1.1) Perception about addictions, 1.2) Expectation on attention to addictions, 1.3) As educational strategy. Category 2: Experiences of students with social networks, sub-categories: 2.1) Motivates creativity, 2.2) Rescue learned skills and add others, 2.3) Motivates empathy. Category 3: Use of social networks by nurse students, sub-categories: 3.1) Constraint in videos production, 3.2) Advantage for spread in social networks, 3.3) Favors health education. Conclusion: Social networks are accepted and used by adolescents, they represent a recommendable pedagogic strategy as a way to inform, health education and prevention of use and abuse of legal and illegal substances in vulnerable groups, it is easy to access and is a good working tool for health professionals to help in prevent of this public health issue, and to keep and reach wider coverage in health education.