Abstract

Objective: It is important for the pre-school trainers who are intertwined with children as their task requires, to have particular knowledge and equipment in the field of health in addition to their education and training activities. Because it isn’t possible to predict their requirements in health issues, especially the timing of the urgencies. In this study, we aimed to discuss the knowledge and experiences of child development students about child health and emergency events that require immediate intervention.
Material and Methods: Within the framework of Gaziosmanpaşa University Child Development Program, this study was enrolled with the students of first and last classes, and their demographic data, if they received any previous first-aid training, if they participated in any course or training in the field of health were recorded and asked to fill a survey which was formed of 20 questions about knowledge of child health. Each question is answered correctly by 1 point; resulting in the lowest 0, it may be the highest in 20 points.
Results: Of 33.7% of the first class students, and 51.6% of the last class students found themselves sufficient about child health. The majority of the students have been found to give the correct answers to questions related with approach to fever, the risks of obesity, personal hygiene, and the approach to children with electric shock, head injury, or foreign body lodge. In addition, only the half of the students have been found to answer that tuberculosis is transmitted by the air (first class: 42.1%, last class: 50.5%) and the correct answer to the question “What should be done first in burns as a result of spiiling of hot water?”, as “Must be kept for at least 5-10 minutes under running tap water. “ (first class: 43.2%, last class: 52.7%). In addition, only one of four students marked the wrong expression as “the child who drank bleach, detergent-like cleaning materials should be immediately induced” (first class: 27.4% and last class: 25.3%). The average total score (15.27±2.30) and the success rate (76.3%) of last-year students were found to be higher than the first-year students (13.00±2.93, 65%, p

Key words: Child development, child health, education