Abstract
Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM) as the most common metabolic complication of pregnancy negatively affects the health of the mother, fetus and newborn. For this reason, the research has been carried out in order to determine the “nursing and midwifery students’ knowledge levels about the women education with Gestational Diabetes”. The research has been carried out in the fall semester of the 2019-2020 academic year with the Faculty of Health Sciences 3rd and 4th grade midwifery and nursing students of a university. In the research, Personal Introductory Information and Gestational Diabetic Women Education Knowledge Level forms have been used to collect data. The sample of the study consists of 300 students (98 Midwifery Department, 202 Nursing Department) who accepted to participate in the research and completed the data collection form. Independent sample t test and Mann-Whitney U test have been used to evaluate the data. p<0.05 value has been accepted as statistical significance criterion. When the participating students’ answers to the gestational diabetic women education knowledge level form items are evaluated, the participants mostly have been determined to find the statements; GDM effects maternal health negatively (82.7%), midwife/nurse has an important role in the education of women with GDM (86.7%), midwife/nurse GDM is responsible for maintaining the well-being of mother and fetus (85.7%), midwife/nurse should provide nutritional counseling to women with GDM (82.3%), midwife/nurse should encourage the women with GDM to do physical activity (80.7%), midwife/nurse should improve the self-care skills of the women with GDM (82.7%), individual blood glucose monitoring is important in the case of GDM (84.0%), as true. As the result, it has been determined in this study that midwifery and nursing students' knowledge levels about gestational diabetes are moderate.