Twitter, Millennials, and Nursing Education Research

AIM This article reports the use of Twitter as an intervention delivery method in a multisite experimental nursing research study. BACKGROUND A form of social networking, Twitter is considered a useful means of communication, particularly with millennials. This method was chosen based on current literature exploring the characteristics of millennial students. METHOD Ahern's Model of Adolescent Resilience served as the theoretical framework. Participants were 70 junior-level baccalaureate nursing students, ages 19-23, at two state-supported universities. RESULTS Twitter was found to be a convenient, cost-effective, and enjoyable means of intervention delivery for the researcher. Participants in the experimental and control groups expressed positive feelings about the use of Twitter. CONCLUSION The findings contribute to future efforts to use social media in nursing research and education to increase faculty-student engagement, promote critical reflection, provide social support, reinforce course content, and increase the sense of community.