Abstract:

Complementary therapy (TT) is an application used to enhance the patient’s well-being and care by providing support symptoms control in standard medical treatments (Björn & Yılmaz 2016; Durna & Akın 2012). Complementary therapy practices have appeared in many cultures, spreading from the mid-20th century, parallel to the rapid developments in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases (Bear & Yılmaz 2016). These applications can be evaluated in five categories: alternative and medical system, body-mind therapy, biologically-based therapies, energy therapies, manipulative and body-based therapies (Durna & Akın 2012). Complementary therapies have many positive effects. But TT practices made by unconscious and uneducated persons may come to dimensions that threaten health (Sağkal, Demiral, Odabaş & Altunok, 2013). Therefore, the correct use of the resources is important in obtaining information about these applications. Patients often obtain information about their TT applications from their relatives, friends or other patients. Only less than 10 percent of patients are consulting a doctor or nurse about their TT applications and are not informing health professionals about their TT applications (Kav, Hanoğlu & Algier, 2008; Kes, Gökdoğan & Tuna, 2016). The use of TT applications throughout the world is increasing. Therefore, health professionals have important tasks and responsibilities in the correct description of the reliability of these methods, the purposes of use, use in the clinic, side effects and risks (Durna & Akın, 2012). Health technicians are health professionals who work effectively in the protective, therapeutic and rehabilitating stages of health services. Therefore, the knowledge of the TT practices and the effectiveness of the follow-up are important tasks to the health technicians. Due to these important tasks, the level of knowledge about the TT methods of health technicians in the training process should be fixed, the shortcomings should be removed. Therefore, this research was carried out with the aim of determining the knowledge and opinions of the students of the Health Services Professional High School (SHMYO) on TT practices. The research was carried out in order to determine the knowledge and views of students studying at the University of Black Sea Technical Health Services Professional High School on Complementary Therapy methods. The sample of this research of the characteristic type was made by 230 students who studied at the ICT Health Services Professional High School. The data was collected using the question form. The number, percentage distribution was used for the assessment of the data. The study found that 70.8% of students never used Complementary Therapy. According to Table 1, when the indicative characteristics are studied; 67.8% of students are girls, 61% of students. 4 of them are first-class students, 57.1% are the mother, 36.1% are the father of primary school graduates, 14.6% are the mother, 80.7% are the father of work, 91% are social security, 49.8% are living with their family and 73.4% are able to meet their daily needs. The study of information on complementary therapy practices according to Table 2 shows that students are fully aware of the methods of T-Massage (13.3%), painting/music/art-dance therapy (11.6%), vitamins (11.6%), and relaxation techniques/meditation/prayer (10.3%). Students generally know TT methods are plants (59.2 percent), massage (56.2 percent), hypnosis (54.1 percent), relaxation techniques / meditation / prayer (52.8 percent), hydrotherapy / cravings (50.2 percent), vitamins (49.8 percent) and yoga (48.1 percent). 38.2% of participants were bioenergy and 27% of participants. 0 have heard the name of painting/music/art-dance therapy. Students were found to have no ideas about acupressure (%92.3), ayurveda (%88.8), reiki (%82.4), refleksology (%73.4), osteopathy (%65.2), homeopathy (%64.4), therapeutic touch (%63.1) acupressure (%40.8), and special diets (gerson diet) (%37.3). According to Table 3, the opinions on complementary therapies are examined; 55.8 percent of students believe that TT methods can be used as modern medical support, 48.9 percent believe that more scientific evidence should be obtained before these methods are used as therapeutic, 45.1 percent believe that TT methods are effective and useful, and 35.6 percent believe that these methods should be used in patient care and treatment with more training. According to Table 4, when the conditions of using TT applications, the reasons for use and learning areas are examined, 70.8% of students have never used TT methods, 30.9% have used it to reduce their stress and 39.9% have learned these methods on the Internet. As a result, the students found they had no detailed information despite their knowledge of the TAT methods in general. It has been found that the methods used more frequently in daily life are more well-known by students. Also, as the most internet orientation in the TT applications is in the forefront, it is believed that training for students through the internet will be useful.

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