ANALYSIS OF COMMUNICATION SKILLS OF UNIVERSITY STUDENTS IN THE CONTEXT OF SOCIAL MEDIA USE: ASSESSMENT ON HEALTH SCIENCES STUDENTS IN A FOUNDATION UNIVERSITY

This study was carried out toevaluate communication skills of the nursing graduate students, who are candidates for nursing profession, where interpersonal communication is especially important in the recovery process of the patients, in the context of social media use. Data were collected using Student Information Form Questionnaire on Internet and Social Media Use, and Communication Skills Inventory (CSI). The research population is consisted of 528 nursing students studying at a foundation university in Istanbul. Data were collected from 400 students who were at school during the data collection process, who agreed to participate in the study and who used at least one of the social media tools. Of the 400 students who participated in the survey, 84% (n = 336) of them were female and their mean age was 21.32 ± 1.969. The students' CSI total score average was close to the highest possible value. The results showed that the most of the students use social media to share photo/instant status, to spend time, and exchange ideas. Significant differences were found between the cognitive and behavioral dimension scores and the total scores of students who took Communication Skills/Health Communication course and who didn’t take the course. There were also significant differences in terms of having their own blog, average time spent on social media, and feeling alone when they could not be connected to social media