Evaluation of Radiation Protection Knowledge and Attitudes of Health Services Vocational School Students Participating in Practice in Radiated Environments

The use of new diagnostic and treatment methods in the field of health exposes many health workers to the dangers of ionizing radiation. In this study, the radiation protection knowledge and attitudes of the students of the Health Services Vocational School, which trains health technicians at the associate degree level, were evaluated by survey method. The research population consists of 123 students who are receiving education in the Radiotherapy and Medical Imaging Techniques programs of the Istanbul Okan University Health Services Vocational School and who are doing internship, practice or skill training in the radiation environments of hospitals. A survey consisting of 36 questions was prepared within the scope of the research and the survey questions were applied through face-to-face interviews. A significant relationship was found between the participants' internships in diagnostic radiology units such as fluoroscopy and scopy, which have high radiation intensity, and their knowledge levels. While a statistically significant difference was found between the programs in terms of the students' radiation protection knowledge (p<0,05), no such difference was observed in terms of their attitudes.