Dental hygiene graduates' educational preparedness: Self-confidence ratings of the CDHA baccalaureate competencies. 2020

Susanne Sunell, and Denise M Laronde, and Zul Kanji
Part-time Faculty, Oral Biological and Medical Sciences, University of British Columbia, West Vancouver, BC, Canada.

OBJECTIVE In 2015, the Canadian Dental Hygienists Association (CDHA) published the first Canadian Competencies for Baccalaureate Dental Hygiene Programs (CCBDHP). To date, there is little evidence to support that baccalaureate graduates have gained these abilities. The purpose of the study was to investigate the confidence levels of baccalaureate graduates in their ability to demonstrate the CCBDHP. METHODS An online, anonymous study was conducted with the 2013-2016 graduates of the University of British Columbia to rate their confidence level in the 13 competency domains and associated 110 sub-competencies of the CCBDHP based on a 5-point scale ranging from not confident to confident. RESULTS Thirty of the 84 graduates responded to the survey for a 36% response rate. The mostly confident and confident scores were added to determine the number of sub-competencies within each domain in which 75% to 100% of respondents identified such confidence. The competency domains in which graduates expressed the highest confidence included Collaboration (100%), Communication (100%), Clinical Therapy (100%), Disease Prevention (100%), Oral Health Education (90%), Professionalism (90%), Research Use (90%) and Leadership (90%). They expressed the least confidence in the competency domains of Health Promotion (50%), Advocacy (22%) and Policy Use (0%). CONCLUSIONS These data provided the UBC faculty with important insights into the educational preparedness of baccalaureate graduates. The findings are also relevant for other Canadian programmes and contribute to a larger national dialogue about the CCBDHP and the transition of graduates into practice.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D007857 Leadership The function of directing or controlling the actions or attitudes of an individual or group with more or less willing acquiescence of the followers. Influentials
D009910 Oral Hygiene The practice of personal hygiene of the mouth. It includes the maintenance of oral cleanliness, tissue tone, and general preservation of oral health. Dental Hygiene,Hygiene, Dental,Hygiene, Oral
D011795 Surveys and Questionnaires Collections of data obtained from voluntary subjects. The information usually takes the form of answers to questions, or suggestions. Community Survey,Nonrespondent,Questionnaire,Questionnaires,Respondent,Survey,Survey Method,Survey Methods,Surveys,Baseline Survey,Community Surveys,Methodology, Survey,Nonrespondents,Questionnaire Design,Randomized Response Technique,Repeated Rounds of Survey,Respondents,Survey Methodology,Baseline Surveys,Design, Questionnaire,Designs, Questionnaire,Methods, Survey,Questionnaire Designs,Questionnaires and Surveys,Randomized Response Techniques,Response Technique, Randomized,Response Techniques, Randomized,Survey, Baseline,Survey, Community,Surveys, Baseline,Surveys, Community,Techniques, Randomized Response
D002170 Canada The largest country in North America, comprising 10 provinces and three territories. Its capital is Ottawa.
D002983 Clinical Competence The capability to perform acceptably those duties directly related to patient care. Clinical Skills,Competence, Clinical,Clinical Competency,Clinical Skill,Competency, Clinical,Skill, Clinical,Skills, Clinical,Clinical Competencies,Competencies, Clinical
D003756 Dental Hygienists Persons trained in an accredited school or dental college and licensed by the state in which they reside to provide dental prophylaxis under the direction of a licensed dentist. Dental Hygienist,Hygienist, Dental,Hygienists, Dental

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