Dental Hygiene--Associate of Applied Science Degree
Program Purpose
The purpose of the Associate of Applied Science program in Dental Hygiene is to prepare students for entry into the dental hygiene profession with emphasis on community health and clinical dental hygiene practice.
Educational Objectives
Provide the dental hygiene student the opportunity to gain the necessary knowledge, skills, and values to enter the registered practice of dental hygiene.
Prepare the student to sit for the National Board Dental Hygiene Examination.
Prepare the student to take the WREB examination in dental hygiene and anesthesia.
Expected Student Learning Outcomes
The dental hygiene graduate will be competent in applying ethical, legal and regulatory concepts in the provision and/or support of oral health care services.
The dental hygiene graduate will be competent in critical thinking and self-assessment.
The dental hygiene graduate will be competent in interpersonal and communication skills to effectively interact with diverse population groups.
The dental hygiene graduate will be competent in assessing, planning, implementing and evaluating community-based oral health programs including health promotion and disease prevention activities.
The dental hygiene graduate will be competent in providing oral health care to individuals at all stages of life and for all periodontal classifications.
The dental hygiene graduate will continue professional growth and development after graduation.
Curriculum Map
The curriculum map for the associate's degree program in Dental Hygiene can be found on the program's web page on the OIT web site.
Summary of Student Learning Outcomes
During the 2007-08 academic year, the dental hygiene faculty formally assessed the student learning outcome summarized below. Additional details can be found in the attached assessment report and in department assessment records.
Student Learning Outcome #4: The dental hygiene graduate will be competent in patient care.
Strengths:
- Favorable reviews in Graduate Survey in all areas - General Instruction, Transferable Skills, Competencies, and Student Learning Outcomes
- Students have an adequate number of patient experiences in treating child, adult, and geriatric patients
- Students have an adequate number patient experiences in treating periodontal case types I, II, and III
- High pass rates on the WREB exams
- Students are able to use critical thinking and assessment data to reach conclusions about the patient's dental hygiene needs
- Benchmarks for items on the chart audits set for 90% are being met.
Weaknesses:
- Not all students are receiving an adequate number of patient experiences in treating adolescents
- Not all students are receiving an adequate number of patient experiences in treating periodontal case type IV
- 100% benchmark for updated and signed medical history was not achieved
- 100% benchmark for patient dental examination in the past 18 months was not achieved
- 100% benchmark for informed consent and PARQ was not achieved.
Action plans:
Overall students are receiving a variety of patient experiences in relation to age, calculus type, and periodontal type, but some students have not had a specific experience in one or more of the categories. To address this need, clinical advisors will meet one-on-one with students at the beginning of summer term. The student and advisor will identify areas in which the student needs more experiences. The student will write a learning contract identify goals and how to achieve those goals to acquire a variety of experiences. At the end of the term the student and advisor will discuss if the goals were achieved or not. We would like 100% goal achievement and will be able to calculate this at the end of the term. This process will be repeated for fall and winter term.
Changes Resulting from Assessment
On June 13, 2008, Christine Harwood (academic director) and Suzanne Hopper (full-time faculty) met to discuss the assessment results. The following decisions were made:
#1 Comprehensive health history is updated and signed. Chart Audit item #1 was at 94% compliance.
Students may not proceed with dental hygiene treatment until the health history is reviewed and then signed by an instructor. To ensure compliance, students will lose one full grade point if not compliant. Suzanne Hopper presented the information to faculty during a meeting on June 26, 2008. New instructors will be informed of this policy during new faculty orientation.
#2 Patients had a dental examination within the past 18 months. Chart audit item #12 was at 93% compliance. Since this is part of the Oregon dental practice act, non-compliance could have serious consequences.
The Dental Examination will be included as part of the dental hygiene treatment plan for those patients who have not seen a dentist in the past 18 months. Faculty will not approve the treatment plan unless the necessary examination is included. Patients will be advised that the examination is an important component of overall comprehensive care. Occasionally, a clinic dentist is not available, so patients must be rescheduled for their examinations within 15 working days of dental hygiene care.
Suzanne Hopper reminded the faculty of this requirement during a faculty meeting on June 26, 2008. New instructors will be informed of this policy during new faculty orientation.
#3 Informed consent and PARQ. Chart audit item #15 was at 94% compliance.
Current procedures contribute to this problem, since students have their assessment data reviewed by an instructor prior to doing a definitive treatment plan presentation to the faculty and patient. To correct this problem, students will henceforth complete the treatment plan and PARQ prior to instructor check-in. The student will present the case with the PARQ form that the patient has previously signed. Any treatment plan revisions will be discussed with the patient and faculty, and appropriate notes entered in the patient record.
Heidi Denton presented this information to students at the first clinic of Summer Term 2008. Suzanne Hopper presented this information to faculty at the first faculty meeting of Summer Term 2008. New instructors will be informed of this policy during new faculty orientation.
Quality Assurance Committee Meetings will be scheduled monthly to review progress on each of the chart audit items, #1, 12, and 15.