Cultivating Professional Responsibility in a Dental Hygiene Curriculum

Abstract

To prepare dental hygienists for future roles in the health care system, dental hygiene education must prepare graduates with skills, ethics, and values that align with professional responsibility. The objective of this study was to determine the effectiveness of curricular changes designed to develop professional identity and responsibility over the entire span of the dental hygiene curriculum. Twenty-four dental hygiene students at the University of Minnesota were surveyed about their attitudes toward access to dental care, society's and health professionals' responsibility to care for the underserved, and their personal eficacy to provide care for the underserved. Surveys were conducted at three time points in the curriculum. The Attitudes Toward Health Care instrument adapted by Holtzman for dental use was used to survey the students. The indings indicate that this institution's curricular changes were effective in cultivating professional responsibility among these students. Their attitude scores increased across the six-semester curriculum, and students in their last semester of the program believed that all individuals have a right to dental care and that society has an obligation to provide dental care. These students' sense of obligation to care for the needy became stronger and their perceptions of their own ability to impact the community and act as an agent of change also increased.Prof. Blue is Associate Professor and

Reflective Learning Outcomes of Community‐Based Experiences: A Qualitative Study

“…Many researchers have agreed that curriculum needs to reinforce the values and attitudes reflection has brought about to keep students moving forward to a higher level of thinking 2, 3,6,7,11,12,17, 20 . Some of them noted that insights from the students would be hard to attain via classroom experience alone 2, 3,6,11, 20 . Furlini et al conducted a systematic review of studies published from 2000 to 2015 that investigated the effects of CBDE on dental students' readiness to treat populations that are underserved 21 .…”

“…Students' ability to focus on an experience and analyze the process and outcome of actions taken, as well as the assumptions that led them to their conclusions, is critical to developing a professional identity that is communityminded 2 – 7, 9,11,13,14,17, 18 – 21 . Instructional strategies aimed at attaining these outcomes are an important and necessary part of health professions curricula 18 – 20 …”

“…Herein lies the importance of grounding reflection in a curriculum that provides students with the knowledge and tools they need to address access to care. Regular opportunities for in‐class discussion on social issues, creation of a delivery model for a specific community that is underserved, and debriefing with community mentors and/or dental mentors at the rotation site are examples of ways to deepen understanding of social disparities in a curriculum 20 . Empowering students to address oral health disparities in a tangible way is, after all, the overarching goal of CBL.…”

Suitability of the RIPLS and IEPS for Discriminating Attitude Differences towards Interprofessional Education among Students of Healthcare Profession

“…However, it is encouraging to know that junior dental students did not have negative attitudes towards IPE. Blue (2013) reported that dental students' attitudes changed over the course of the study period as they moved to higher semesters [28]. She also stated that, along with enhanced professional responsibility, professional identity also increased among dental students.…”

Dental hygienists’ perceptions of professionalism are multidimensional and context-dependent: a qualitative study in Japan

“…In Western countries, dental hygiene courses and learning experiences have been created throughout the curriculum with the intent of teaching professionalism, including a professional responsibility thread. These courses cover the patient–provider relationship, ethics, academic service learning, and leadership and professional development [ 18 ]. To improve the effectiveness of the teaching of professionalism, some educational institutions have integrated mindfulness practice into the dental hygiene curriculum [ 19 ].…”