title: Introducing Twitter as an assessed component of the undergraduate nursing curriculum: case study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To ask: (i) is it feasible to include Twitter as an assessed element of the first-year nursing curriculum; (ii) how should it be introduced and assessed; and (iii) do students think it worthwhile and learn anything from its use?
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Nursing students need to use social media professionally, avoiding pitfalls but using learning opportunities.
  
  
  METHODS
  This case study (2014-2015) comprised: (i) pilot introduction of Digital Professionalism (including Twitter) with second- and third-year students; (ii) introduction and assessment with a first cohort of 450 first-year students. Based on feedback, methods were revised for; (iii) a second cohort of 97.
  
  
  METHODS
  Students received a face-to-face lecture, two webinars, used chat rooms and were asked to create course Twitter accounts and were assessed on their use.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Few second and third year students started optional Twitter use whereas nearly all first years used it. Most students (70·1% first, 88·0% second cohort) thought inclusion of Twitter was worthwhile. Changes from first to second cohort included better peer-peer support, more contextualization and more emphasis on nursing communities. More second cohort students learned from Twitter (44·4% vs. 70·8%) and used Twitter recently (43·3% vs. 81·6%). Students gained wider perspectives on nursing, better understanding of social media, 'being student nurses' and topics like health promotion. Students mostly followed not only online nursing communities but also patient organizations.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Including Twitter as an assessed element for first-year nursing students was feasible, students think it worthwhile and other nursing schools should consider introducing it in the broader context of Digital Professionalism.
authors: Plymouth University, UK.
authors: Ray
authors: R
authors: Jones
authors: Plymouth University, UK.
authors: Janet
authors: J
authors: Kelsey
authors: Adult Nursing Urgent and Emergency Care, Plymouth University, UK.
authors: Pam
authors: P
authors: Nelmes
authors: WeNurses, Bristol, UK.
authors: Nick
authors: N
authors: Chinn
authors: WeNurses, Bristol, UK.
authors: Teresa
authors: T
authors: Chinn
authors: School of Nursing and Midwifery, Plymouth University, UK.
authors: Tracey
authors: T
authors: Proctor-Childs
mesh_terms: D003479:Curriculum; D004508:Education, Nursing, Baccalaureate; D006801:Humans; D000068616:Professionalism; D012579:Schools, Nursing; D061108:Social Media; D013338:Students, Nursing
keywords: Twitter; assessment; case study; nursing; social media; undergraduate curriculum