Abstract

Objective: People with disabilities have been exposed to exclusion and stigma for years. This study was carried out to determine the opinions and practices nursing students towards disabled people who they will be future nurse and responsible health care to disabled people who 8.5 million disabled people live in our community.

Method: The study was conducted between February-March 2015 with a nursing students of a state university. While the study population consisted of 1071 students who were studying a nursing department, the sample of the study was composed of 358 students selected by the unlikely sampling method to represent the universe. The data of this descriptive and cross-sectional study were collected with a structured form which is consist of 41 questions and developed by the researchers in line the literature. Data of the study were analyzed by descriptive analyzes and chi-square test.

Results: There was a statistically significant relationship between the fact that the participated students who were socio-demographic characteristics and they want to be nurses of the disabled patient (p<0,05). There was no statistically significant relationship between the burden care of disabled people and students socio-demographic characteristics (p>0,05) but there was a statistically significant relation between the working status of the students and burden care the disabled patient. It was determined the working students thought that the burden care of disabled patients was higher than other patients (p<0,05).

Conclusion: Students’ opinions and practices are often positive towards disabled people however it was found that working students thinking handicap cause to increase the burden care. Also it was determined that disabled people are ignored by society and they were approached with a sense of pity. It was found that students want to be disabled people' nurses by giving care to disabled patients and they haven’t been discriminate and stigma.