Student nurses’ unethical behavior, social media, and year of birth

Abstract

Background: This study is the result of findings from a previous dissertation conducted by this author on Student Nurses’ Unethical Behavior, Boundaries, and Social Media. The use of social media can be detrimental to the nurse–patient relationship if used in an unethical manner. Method: A mixed method, using a quantitative approach based on research questions that explored differences in student nurses’ unethical behavior by age (millennial vs nonmillennial) and clinical cohort, the relationship of unethical behavior to the utilization of social media, and analysis on year of birth and unethical behavior. A qualitative approach was used based on a guided faculty interview and common themes of student nurses’ unethical behavior. Participants and Research Context: In total, 55 Associate Degree nursing students participated in the study; the research was conducted at Central Texas College. There were eight faculty-guided interviews. Ethical considerations: The main research instrument was an anonymous survey. All participants were assured of their right to an informed consent. All participants were informed of the right to withdraw from the study at any time. Findings: Findings indicate a significant correlation between student nurses’ unethical behavior and use of social media (p = 0.036) and a significant difference between student unethical conduct by generation (millennials vs nonmillennials (p = 0.033)) and by clinical cohort (p = 0.045). Further findings from the follow-up study on year of birth and student unethical behavior reveal a correlation coefficient of 0.384 with a significance level of 0.003. Discussion: Surprisingly, the study found that second-semester students had less unethical behavior than first-, third-, and fourth-semester students. The follow-up study found that this is because second-semester students were the oldest cohort. Conclusion: Implications for positive social change for nursing students include improved ethics education that may motivate ethical conduct throughout students’ careers nationally and globally for better understanding and promotion of ethics and behavior.