Determination of Industry 4.0 Conceptual Awareness Levels of Midwifery Department Students

Abstract

Introduction and Aim: Along with technological innovations in the world, the health industry has also developed and entered the digital transformation process. This study was designed as a descriptive study aiming to determine the awareness of midwifery students on Industry 4.0.
 Materials and Methods: The population of the study consisted of students of the midwifery department of a university. The minimum sample size was calculated in G*power 3.1.9 program. Accordingly, the number of samples to be included in the study for 95% statistical power 0.05 margin of error was determined as 210. The study was completed with 257 midwifery students, taking possible losses into account. Personal information form and Industry 4.0 Conceptual Awareness Scale were used as data collection tools.
 Findings: The average age of the students in the study was 21.22 ± 1.84 years, 31.9% of the students were 2nd-year students in the Department of Midwifery, 52.9% of the students had their own computers, 100% of them used smartphones, and 60.7% used computers. The average score of the students on the scale was 89.98 ± 30.5, and it was determined that the students' Industry 4.0 conceptual awareness was at a medium level according to the score obtained from the scale. When the relationship between the place where the students stayed and the scores obtained from the scale was examined, it was determined that there was a significant difference between the scores obtained from the scale of the students staying in the state dormitory and the students staying in the private dormitory (p < 0.05).
 Conclusion and Recommendations: In the study, it was determined that the midwifery department students' Industry 4.0 Conceptual Awareness levels were at a moderate level, and the place of residence positively affected the level of awareness of this concept. It is recommended to conduct more research on the subject.