Aim:

This aim of the study is to determine the knowledge of nursing students about work related risk factors, work accidents and occupational diseases and to raise the awareness of the about occupational health and safety.

Materials and Methods:

This study was carried out as a semi-experimental study. It was conducted with the 62 Namık Kemal University, College of Health, Nursing Department third class students who accepted to participate, between February and May 2015. After applying a pre-test, a training program about occupational health and safety was implemented to the students and a post-test was applied at the end of the training program. The content of training program and pre-test and post-test were developed by the researchers. Data was analyzed with IBM SPSS Ver.18 and descriptive statistics were used.

Results:

The meanage of students is 21.70±1.32. nearly eighty percent of them female and 21% of them stil working in a health facility. The ratio of the true answers about the description of occupational health, work related risk factors, risk groups, occupational diseases, protection principles and precautionary measures is 20% in pre-test and it raised nearly 90-95% in post-test.

Conclusion:

A significant increase in the knowledge and awareness of the nursing students was determined with the training program. Occupational health and safety coursess hould be implemented to curriculum of health colleges.

Keywords: Awareness, knowledge, nursing, occupational health and safety