2011 ADEA Annual Session: Poster Abstracts Susan L
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Old Dominion University ODU Digital Commons Dental Hygiene Faculty Publications Dental Hygiene 2011 2011 ADEA Annual Session: Poster Abstracts Susan L. Tolle Old Dominion University, [email protected] Leslie M. Congdon Michele L. Darby Old Dominion University Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.odu.edu/dentalhygiene_fac_pubs Part of the Dental Hygiene Commons, Dental Public Health and Education Commons, and the Medical Education Commons Repository Citation Tolle, Susan L.; Congdon, Leslie M.; and Darby, Michele L., "2011 ADEA Annual Session: Poster Abstracts" (2011). Dental Hygiene Faculty Publications. 15. https://digitalcommons.odu.edu/dentalhygiene_fac_pubs/15 Original Publication Citation Tolle, S.L., Congdon, L.M., & Darby, M.L. (2011). 2011 ADEA annual session: Poster abstracts. Journal of Dental Education, 75(2), 190-256. This Abstract is brought to you for free and open access by the Dental Hygiene at ODU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dental Hygiene Faculty Publications by an authorized administrator of ODU Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. 2011 ADEA Annual Session: Poster Abstracts Presented on Monday, March 14, 2011 degree from baccalaureate to master’s and even doctoral levels. Dental hygiene is one of the few remaining health professions with entry- 12:30–2:00 p.m. level degrees at the associate and baccalaureate levels; it therefore needs to make strides in moving the profession forward by advancing the education level. The challenge the profession faces is to address Educational Research the barriers and encourage dental hygienists to continue their formal education to ensure an adequate supply of future leaders, educators, 110. Baccalaureate Dental Hygienists’ Perceived and researchers. This study provides some preliminary information Barriers to Graduate Education about the barriers baccalaureate dental hygienists identify in regard to pursuing graduate education. Two out of the top three barriers are Linda D. Boyd, Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health related to the cost associated with pursuing a graduate degree. The Sciences; Angela Bailey, Idaho State University focus needs to be on identifying funding opportunities. Currently, loan Based on other professions like nursing, advancing the education forgiveness is available for some public health settings, but expansion of dental hygienists is necessary to the success of the profession, is needed particularly for those interested in entering academia since whether the individuals serve as clinicians, educators, researchers, or salaries are often not competitive with private practice settings. advocates. The American Dental Hygienists’ Association (ADHA) has expressed this idea specifically in the report Dental Hygiene: Focus 113. Faculty and Student Policies on the Use of on Advancing the Profession. To expand the profession in the areas Magnification Loupes in Dental Hygiene Programs of research, education, administration, and mid-level practitioners, graduate education is necessary to build credibility in a climate in Susan L. Tolle, Leslie M. Congdon, and Michele L. Darby, Old which most other health professions have entry-level master’s and Dominion University doctoral degree programs. A literature search revealed a limited Dental hygiene programs must teach the most effective techniques number of studies addressing barriers to graduate education in general and interventions, advance best practices, and model the highest and no studies researching the barriers to pursuing a graduate degree standards of professional practice to ensure graduates can provide for baccalaureate dental hygienists. An important step in moving the quality care and have successful professional careers. Currently, profession forward is understanding the barriers dental hygienists use of magnification loupes is not a content area required by may face in pursuing graduate education. Using the literature and accreditation standards, nor is it reflected in nationally accepted the American College Testing withdrawing and nonreturning student dental hygiene curriculum guidelines as a best practice. However, survey, we developed a survey on baccalaureate dental hygienists’ the use of magnification glasses continues to increase in dental perceived barriers to graduate education. Specific components of practice settings due to potential ergonomic benefits. The degree to the survey included age, gender, education, income, race/ethnicity, which magnification loupes were used in accredited dental hygiene professional practice setting, perceived barriers to graduate education, programs was the major aim of this study. After Institutional Review and future plans for graduate education. A small group of students Board approval, the thirty-one item questionnaire was e-mailed via in a graduate dental hygiene program (n=9) were asked to assess SurveyMonkey to 303 entry-level dental hygiene programs. An overall the survey content and provide input. Contact information for all response rate of 75 percent was obtained. Results reveal the vast program directors at U.S. dental hygiene bachelor’s degree and degree majority of programs do not require loupes for faculty or students completion programs was obtained from the ADHA. An e-mail was with only 23 percent of responding schools requiring students to sent to these directors asking them to forward the survey link to their purchase loupes and only 8 percent requiring faculty to use loupes. programs’ baccalaureate graduates; twenty-four agreed to participate. Of those schools that require faculty members to wear loupes, 10 The survey link was also sent to a list of dental hygienists (n=451) percent of the programs assume the cost. No statistically significant who had requested information about a master’s of science in dental differences (p=0.5406) in dental hygiene educational program policies hygiene program. All participants were given approximately two were found requiring the purchase of magnifying loupes by students, weeks to complete the survey, and a reminder e-mail was sent one based on two-year and four-year programs. Odds ratio (1.25) gives week prior to the survey completion date. The responding graduates the odds of students’ purchasing loupes in a two-year program as 25 contacted by the dental hygiene program directors (n=100) and percent higher than a four-year program. Chi-square test also revealed a graduate program mailing list (n=60) totaled 160. Of these no statistically significant differences (p=0.2684) in dental hygiene respondents, 50 percent graduated with a baccalaureate degree, educational program policies for faculty use of magnifying loupes while the rest graduated with an associate degree (47.5 percent) based on two-year and four-year program comparison. Odds ratio or certificate (2.5 percent) in dental hygiene. Sixty-four percent (1.87) gives the odds of faculty members wearing loupes in a two- reported planning to pursue graduate education in one to two years, year program as 87 percent higher than a four-year program. Most with another 21 percent planning to do so in three to four years. This programs (90 percent) do not plan to require students to purchase convenience sample of dental hygienists with baccalaureate degrees loupes in the near future although the majority (73 percent) believe revealed their top five barriers to pursuing a graduate degree were the proper use of loupes should be integrated into the curriculum. A following: 1) cost of graduate education, 2) family responsibilities and majority of respondents believe the ideal time a student should begin concerns about personal funding to pay for graduate education (two using loupes is in preclinical classes. Expense was the overwhelming items tied), 4) finding time for graduate school while working, and disadvantage cited by respondents (97 percent) for not requiring 5) fear of thesis research. Many other professions have recognized loupes for students. Over 90 percent of respondents cited ergonomic the increasing complexity of providing health care to a medically benefits as the greatest advantage of use. Most respondents see compromised population and responded by increasing the entry-level advantages to loupes, but clinical policies on loupes do not appear to These abstracts were peer-reviewed following established criteria. The abstracts published here are the property of their authors. No transfer of copyright to the Journal of Dental Education has occurred. ADEA makes no claims, express or implied, with respect to the accuracy, completeness, usefulness, ownership, or adequacy of the information presented. 190 Journal of Dental Education ■ Volume 75, Number 2 2011 ADEA Annual Session: Poster Abstracts (cont.) correlate with beliefs. Educational programs in dental hygiene seem completion of certain procedures. To ascertain the usefulness of slow to adopt and require the use of loupes. More programs require the training, a five-question survey was created and received IRB students than faculty members to wear loupes although the vast approval. The questions and responses were as follows: 1) overall, majority of programs do not require students or faculty members to how helpful were the WREB operative lectures and simulation lab purchase or wear loupes. More two-year programs require loupes in exercises? Responses: good to excellent 83 percent; 2) overall, how the clinical setting than four-year programs. Current clinical policies helpful were the operative