Nursing Students' Perception of the Internet in Turkey: A Questionnaire Survey

Background: Rapid developments in the Internet technologies led to changes in every aspect of life. In case of nursing education, awareness and use of the Internet becomes vital. Within this framework nursing students are also required to effectively use Internet to become competent. Objective: The objective of the study was to determine nursing students' Internet usage tendencies and perception of the Internet. Methods: The study was conducted as a cross-sectional survey among nursing students in a military medical academy school of nursing in Ankara, Turkey. A survey questionnaire was completed by 332 of 338 students at a military medical academy school of nursing in Ankara. To collect the study data, a data collection form requesting participant demographic information and views about usage and perceptions of the Internet was used. Results: Students mainly access the Internet for research. Moreover, almost all students think of the Internet as a useful tool that contributes positively to their education. In addition, a great percentage of the students consider the Internet to be a necessity for their nursing practice. Conclusions: Students' positive thoughts and attitudes about the Internet present opportunities for nursing curriculum development, and present challenges for educators.