Undergraduate student nurses' attitudes towards using social media websites: A study from Jordan

Abstract

Background: The use of social media by university students is recognized worldwide. Student nurses are no exception, yet no studies have been reported to investigate the nurse students' use and views of social media in Jordan. The current study aims to assess the validity and reliability of an Arabic version of the modified Students Nurses' Use and Views of Social Media survey.

Methods: In a cross-sectional study conducted on 395 student nurses aged 19-39 enrolled at two universities (one public and one private) in north Jordan, information on their use and attitude to social media was obtained using the Arabic version of the Students Nurses' Use and Views of Social Media survey. Exploratory factor analysis and correlation matrices were conducted to assess the validity and reliability of the tool.

Results: The Arabic version of the tool had a 0.84 alpha of internal consistency indicating a high level of reliability. The scale showed multi-dimensionality with items loading on two factors.

Conclusion: The Arabic version of the Students Nurses' Use and Views of Social Media questionnaire demonstrated initial reliability and validity. This study reports positive attitudes of Jordanian student nurses towards professional and academic use of social media.

Keywords: Jordan; Social media; Student nurses; Tool validation.