Social media in nursing education: responsible integration for meaningful use

Abstract

The astonishing popularity of social media and its emergence into the academic arena has shown tremendous potential for innovations in teaching. The appeal of using social media in the learning environment is enhanced by accessibility and affordability. However, it has also broadened the scope of consideration for protecting student privacy. This article explores the legal impact of privacy concerns when social media is used as a teaching tool. Institutions of higher learning must formulate guidelines that will govern appropriate social media use so that novel teaching modalities can be safely explored. Students must be educated by faculty regarding the standards of conduct and privacy considerations related to social media. The National Council of State Boards of Nursing has issued the White Paper: A Nurse's Guide to the Use of Social Media, a must-read for nursing faculty in the current academic arena.