Introduction Development of new virtual technologies has evolved teaching-learning process. As for the technologies, it can be refered to the use of virtual social networks in education. The current study aimed at exploring the effect of using virtual social networks on nursing students’ English learning. Methods The current study employed pretest-posttest plan with control group. The research population consisted of all nursing students of Malayer nursing school, Malayer, Iran, in 2015-2016, among which 30 students were selected by available sampling method, and then, randomly assigned to the control and experimental groups. Instruments used in the research consisted of learning tests (pretest with 0.87 reliability and posttest with 0.89 via test-retest and confirmation of formal validity by English teachers as experts). Paired t test was employed to analyze data by SPSS version 18. Results The research findings showed that the learning level of students who learned English via virtual social networks was more than that of students who learned it traditionally (t = 14.30 and plusmn; 2.48, P = 0.001). Conclusions Given the effect of virtual social networks on nursing students’ English learning, it is recommended to use this teaching technique in the teaching-learning process of medical education.