- Title
- A longitudinal cohort study of Bachelor of Oral Health students from the University of Newcastle: investigating social demographics, career choice influences, employment opportunities and experiences, and job satisfaction
- Creator
- Wallace, Linda
- Relation
- University of Newcastle Research Higher Degree Thesis
- Resource Type
- thesis
- Date
- 2017
- Description
- Research Doctorate - Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
- Description
- Dental Hygienists are registered primary healthcare professionals who provide preventive, educational and therapeutic dental services to the public with the aim of supporting total health via the control of oral diseases. The value of dental hygiene focussed preventive treatment and tools, most notably improved oral hygiene and risk factor modification, is well established. In 2005 the University of Newcastle introduced a three-year Bachelor of Oral Health program, which graduated students who could register as dental hygienists with the Dental Board of Australia. This study investigated the demographic profile and career influencing factors of several cohorts of students enrolled in the Bachelor of Oral Health at the University of Newcastle and other Bachelor of Oral Health programs offered in New South Wales between 2005 and 2011; and the working practices, employment opportunities and experiences, skill utilisation and job satisfaction of two cohorts of graduates one year after graduation, and one cohort ten years after graduation. The study was questionnaire based, with separate questionnaires utilised for first year students and graduates. Descriptive and analytical statistics were used to describe the data. The study found that the average Bachelor of Oral Health student was female, 26 years old, single with no children, and had previous experience in the dental profession, as a dental assistant. A range of altruistic factors motivated her to study dental hygiene. The results highlighted the underrepresentation of males and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders in the dental hygiene student cohort. Following graduation she had little trouble finding employment often returning to work at a practice where she had been previously employed as a dental assistant. Typically working 30 to 40 hours per week in the private dental sector, she spent most of her time providing dental health education, debriding teeth and taking x-rays. Job satisfaction was high as were opportunities for career advancement. This research was longitudinal in nature, and has provided baseline data to contribute to the future development of training programs for oral health professionals, assist in workforce planning, and support future research.
- Subject
- dental hygienist; career choice; employment opportunity; job satisfaction
- Identifier
- http://hdl.handle.net/1959.13/1351335
- Identifier
- uon:30688
- Rights
- Copyright 2017 Linda Wallace
- Language
- eng
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| Thumbnail | File | Description | Size | Format | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| View Details Download | ATTACHMENT01 | Thesis | 7 MB | Adobe Acrobat PDF | View Details Download | ||
| View Details Download | ATTACHMENT02 | Abstract | 88 KB | Adobe Acrobat PDF | View Details Download |