Determining the level of perception of occupational health and safety among Nursing students at the Faculty of Health Sciences: The case of Amasya province

Occupational health and safety is a discipline that aims to minimise the risks that employees are exposed to while performing their duties in the work environment. For nurses working in the healthcare sector, these risks can be listed as physical, chemical, biological, psychosocial and ergonomic risk factors. These risk factors can cause occupational accidents and diseases. Therefore, systematic efforts to eliminate or minimise risks through occupational health and safety practices are becoming increasingly important. The extent to which health care workers are aware of the hazards and risks, and their ability to cope with the problem when exposed to these risks, play a key role in these efforts. In this context, the aim of this study is to determine the level of awareness of occupational health and safety among nursing students. To this end, data were collected from 347 university students in the context of Amasya province. Factor analysis was used to test the validity of the scale used in the study and Cronbach's alpha was used to test reliability. Correlational analyses were used in the study to determine the relationships between variables. Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney U tests were used to determine whether students' perceptions of OSH differed significantly according to various categorical variables. In addition, the Chi-square test was used to assess the relationship between the demographic characteristics of the students and the education they received. The results of the research show that the mean OSH competence perceptions of the participants with higher age group are higher. According to the gender variable, the mean scores of women and men were similar. When analysing the grade variable, it was observed that the 3rd grade students had higher mean scores in the Protective measures and rules dimension compared to the other groups. In addition, no significant difference was found between all dimensions according to the educational status of the family and the educational status of the students. It was also found that nursing students found the OSH course and certificate courses sufficient in all dimensions. It was ultimately determined that the occupational health and safety course was efficacious in fostering occupational health and safety (OHS) awareness among nursing students. This was achieved by providing students with knowledge about occupational accidents and occupational diseases prior to embarking on their professional careers, thereby fostering an understanding of their significant role in preventing such incidents.