The Relationships of SNS Usage and IT Literacy Education with Moral Sensitivity in Nursing Students

Abstract

This study aimed to clarify the relationships of social networking service (SNS) usage and IT literacy education with moral sensitivity in nursing students. Students from ten nurse-training organizations in a prefecture anonymously answered self-report questionnaires. The question contents included basic attributes, details of SNS usage, experience with IT literacy education, and the revised-Moral Sensitivity Questionnaire Japanese edition. SNS were used by 92.8% of respondents; 82.3% used SNS every day, and 90.0% used LINE, which was the most commonly used tool for communication with classmates. Furthermore, 42.5% of respondents recognized having problems with SNS usage and there were associations between problem recognition and IT literacy education, and between problem recognition and problems caused by SNS. An analysis according to educational course suggested that IT literacy education influenced SNS usage after receiving moral education. Moral sensitivity became higher as students reached higher grades, suggesting a relationship with nursing students' growth stage. Respondents' moral sensitivity differed significantly according to their nursing educational course, but it was difficult to determine if this depended on educational background, experience, or living environment. The association between moral sensitivity and SNS usage remains unclear.