Student nurses? perceptions of Facebook? as an interactive learning platform in nursing education

Background: The use of Facebook? in nursing education is under-researched. Objective: To assess students? perceptions of using Facebook? as an educational mean to support their study. Methods: One group pretest?posttest study was conducted in one nursing school in Jordan. Facebook? pages were created for two nursing courses. Students completed a questionnaire about students? perception of using Facebook? as educational platform in the ?rst lecture of the semester as a pre-test, and then at the end of the semester as a post-test; after interacting with the created Facebook? page. Results: Students perceived that Facebook? is an effective tool for nursing education (n=119, 78.8%). It can facilitate the communication, ease access to course materials, and provide support for students. However, a few students believed that Facebook? is a distraction from study, requires users to have special skills, and does not protect privacy. Conclusion: This preliminary evaluation revealed that Facebook? can be used as an instructional tool to support nursing education.