KNOWLEDGE LEVEL OF SENIOR NURSING STUDENTS ABOUT KANGAROO CARE: A MULTI-CENTERED RESEARCH

Abstract

Background/Aims: The aim of this study was to determine the knowledge level of nursing department students about kangaroo care (KC). Method: The sample of the descriptive research was composed of 572 students. The data were collected through a questionnaire developed by the researchers. Number, frequency, median, minimum and maximum values, Mann Whitney U test and Kruskal Wallis test were used to evaluate the data. Results: 83.7% of the students were female and 49.7% were in the 22-24 age group. 65.2% of the students stated that they did not know about KC. 72.2% of those who have knowledge have received the information during their education and 54.6% have stated that the information they have received is insufficient. When the average scores of students' knowledge about BP are examined; KC application information median scores 8.0; The median scores of information on newborn benefits of KC are 6.0; The median scores of the information about the parent's benefits are 8.0; The median scores of the information on parental characteristics for KC are calculated as 5.0 and the total information score for the KC is 28.0. Conclusion: It was determined that the level of knowledge of the nursing students about KC was moderate. In line with the results, it has been recommended to include these issues within the scope of clinical education as well as theoretical training in order to improve the knowledge and awareness of students about KC practice and to ensure their transfer to practice.