Twitter Chats as an Alternative to Discussion Boards in Graduate Nursing Courses.

Background: Health care is increasingly dependent on technology and social media for communication. Nurse educators are tasked with developing a nursing workforce equipped with digital literacy to deliver safe, quality patient care. Twitter (now X) chats are an alternative social engagement opportunity for online nursing education students that can facilitate digital literacy.

Method: The instructor of an 8-week online nursing education course revised three required discussions as Twitter chats. Written instructions for the Twitter chats were provided, as well as a podcast. Self-report data and Twitter analytics were analyzed.

Results: Findings identified the benefits of incorporating a social media platform into traditional coursework. Chats helped students view course objectives in a new light and increased understanding of class content.

Conclusion: Twitter is a social media technology that can help nursing students educationally and professionally. .