The Effect of Collaborative Learning Using a Social Media Platform on the Clinical Competence of Nursing Students

Background & Aims Clinical competence in nursing, which refers to a nurse’s ability to effectively apply knowledge and skills in patient care, is important these days. This study aimed to determine the effect of collaborative learning using a social media platform on the clinical competence of nursing students. Materials & Methods This is a quasi-experimental study with a pre-test/post-test design conducted in 2021 in the intensive care unit of a teaching hospital in Rafsanjan, Iran. The participants were 42 intern nursing students in the 7th semester at Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences. They were divided into control (n=21) and intervention (n=21) groups. The control group received their routine internship programs, while the intervention group received a collaborative learning program through WhatsApp. Ebadi et al.’s clinical competency scale was used to evaluate clinical competence in both groups. Data were analyzed in SPSS software, version 22 using descriptive and analytical statistics. Results Before the intervention, there was no statistically significant difference between the two groups (P=0.185), but after the intervention, the difference was statistically significant (P=0.011). There was a significant difference in the mean score of clinical competence before and after the intervention in the test group (P=0.034). Conclusion Collaborative learning using a social media platform can improve the clinical competence of nursing students.