Dental Hygiene Practice Syllabus for 2015-2016
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Instructor Information

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Course

DHYG-2153-001 Dental Hygiene Practice

Prerequisites

Course Description

Emphasis on the laws governing the practice of dentistry and dental hygiene, moral standards and the ethical standards established by the dental hygiene profession. Practice settings for the dental hygienist, office operations and preparation for employment.

Student Resources Student Resources Website

Department Expectations

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Hours

(1 sem hr; 1 lec)

Class Type

On Campus Course

Syllabus Information

Textbooks

 Required Course Textbooks

Students MUST have the CURRENT edition of all required textbooks.

1. Ethics, Jurisprudence, & Practice Management in Dental Hygiene, Vickie J. Kimbrough and Charla J. Lautar, 3rd edition, Pearson Education, Inc.,  2012. 

2.   Professionalism in Health Care, Sherry Makely, 4th edition, Pearson Education Inc., 2013.

3. State Board of Dental Examiners Rules and Regulation and Occupations Code (Online at www.tsbde.state.tx.us)

 

                            

 

 

 

Supplies

\  Course Supply List

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\ 1.  Library Card for AC and/or city library

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\ 2.  Computer and Internet Access, Printer, Print Cartridges

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\ 3.  Index Cards, Scantrons, Paper, Pens,

Student Performance

Course Description

Emphasis on the laws governing the practice of dentistry and dental hygiene, moral standards, and the ethical standards established by the dental hygiene profession.  Practical settings for the dental hygienist, office operations, and preparation for employment.

End-of-Course Outcomes

Explain the Dental Practice Act governing the dental and dental hygiene profession; evaluate ethical and moral issues affecting dental hygiene practice; describe traditional and non-traditional dental hygiene practice settings; and prepare for employment.

Course Objectives

Chapter 1

1.   Define the term ethics.       
2.   Define the terms deontology (deontology approach) and teleology (teleological approach).
3.   Distinguish between the ethical theory of utilitarianism and Kant's ethical theory.
4.   Compare rule utilitarianism with act utilitarianism.
5.   Contrast a right with a duty and a right with a privilege.
6.   Discuss the role of social justice in determining ethical behavior.

Chapter 2

1.   Identify the core values found in the Code of Ethics of the American Dental Hygienists' Association.
2.   Define the terms autonomy, confidentiality, societal trust, nonmaleficence, beneficence, justice, veracity, fidelity, paternalism, and utility.

Chapter 3

1.   Discuss the criteria necessary for informed consent.
2.   Relate conditions for not obtaining informed consent.
3.   Compare the ethical principles found in codes of ethics, informed consent, patients' bill of rights, and other documents related to patient care.

Chapter 4

1.   Define the term ethical dilemma.
2.   List the steps involved in ethical decision making.
3.   Solve ethical dilemmas using a decision-making process.
4.   Determine core values and principles used to solve an ethical dilemma.
5.   Discuss the role of laws in determining alternatives for solving an ethical dilemma.

Chapter 5

1. Compare the concepts of civil law with criminal law, utilizing examples found in dental hygiene practice.
2. List the types and circumstances of supervision (or absence of supervision) found in the Dental/Dental Hygiene Practice Act of the jurisdiction in which you reside or attend school, or where you would like to practice dental hygiene. 
3. State the conditions necessary for a contract between a patient and a dental hygienist with regard to dental hygiene services.
4. Define and distinguish between the following terms:  a.  Intentional tort and Unintentional tort; b.  Malpractice and Negligence; c.  Libel and Slander; d.  Assault and Battery and e.  Implied Contract and Expressed Contract
5. Discuss the rights of patients protected by law and duties of providers regulated by law from both ethical and legal perspectives.
6. Discuss the role of lobbying in developing legislation for the practice of dental hygiene.

Chapter 6

1. Identify legislation that protects and aids the patient and the dental hygienist against discrimination in dentistry.
2. Recognize the signs of abuse (child, spouse, and elderly).
3. List barriers to access to care and reasons for disparities in oral health care.
4. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of various reimbursement or insurance plans (Medicaid, Medicare, and mangaged care) as they pertain to access to care and distributive justice issues.
5. Discuss the role of the dental hygienist as an advocate for oral health care.

Chapter 7

1. Discuss the need for practice management in the dental office.
2. Identify different management styles.
3. Differentiate between oral health care and the business of oral health care.
4. Discuss the team concept.
5. Identify the benefits of cross training.
6. Differentiate types of staff meetings.
7. Differentiate between employer expectations and employee expectations.
8. Identify uses of public relations and image for the dental/dental hygiene practice.
9. Identify  patient needs as they relate to dental hygiene.
10. Discuss how marketing relates to the dental/dental hygiene practice.
11. Identify advantages and disadvantages of profit centers.

Chapter 8

1. Describe the scope of the dental hygiene diagnosis as it relates to building a practice.
2. Discuss business aspects for dental hygiene.
3. Discuss time management issues and plan a treatment hour.
4. Identify leadership traits.

Chapter 9

1. Describe different models for alternate practice.
2. Discuss legislative barriers to alternate practice.
3. List different duties for dental hygienists in alternative practice and dental therapists.
4. Develop a business plan for an alternative practice model.

Chapter 10

1. Discuss aspects of job searching.
2. Identify different employment opportunities for dental hygienists.
3. Discuss the process of interviews between employers and employees.
4. Identify the advantages and disadvantages of working interviews.
5. Identify contents and needs for office policy manuals.
6. Discuss benefits as they relate to the dental hygienist.
7. Identify negotiating skills related to employee benefits.

Chapter 11

1. Describe the differences between stocks, mutual funds, and IRAs.
2. Explain the meaning of portfolio.
3. Describe CD investments.
4. Explain liability insurance.
5. Explain disability insurance.
6. Identify the need for self-care and physical health.
7. Describe the benefits of professional membership.

Professionalism in Health Care Text

Chapter 1

1. List four benefits of working in the health care industry.
2. Define soft skills and hard skills, explain the difference, and discuss why both are important.
3. List two reasons why it's important for health care professionals to know about current trends and issues in the health care industry.
4. List three reasons why health care is expensive and the cost continues to rise.
5. Identify four ways that the baby boomer population will impact the health care industry.
6. Identify and discuss two controversial issues associated with health care reform.
7. Define continuous quality improvement and list two quality improvement goals.
8. Define sentinel event and explain the connection between sentinel events and patient safety.
9. Identify two trends in the supply and demand of health care workers.
10. List two advantages and disadvantages of electronic medical records.

Chapter 2

1. Define interdependence and systems perspective and explain their importance in health care.
2. Explain why it is important to be "present in the moment" at work.
3. Define critical thinking and list three things that critical thinkers do to make good decisions.
4. List five factors that demonstrate a strong work ethic.
5. Describe the attitudinal differences between optimists and pessimists.
6. Identify how competence and scope of practice impact quality of care.
7. List two things you should do when representing your employer.
8. Explain the purpose of performance evaluations and list three ways to prepare for one.
9. Differentiate between objective and subjective evaluation criteria.
10. Discuss the importance of confidentiality and HIPAA.

Chapter 3

1. Define character and personal values and explain  how these affect your reputation as a professional.
2. List four examples of lack of character in the workplace.
3. Explain how your character traits and personal values affect your behavior and attitude.
4. List three important questions to ask yourself when making difficult ethical decisions.
5. Give three examples of dishonest behaviors and describe the impact of dishonesty in the workplace.
6. Define fraud and give three examples.
7. List three examples of complex ethical, moral, and legal dilemmas in health care.
8. Define ethics and morals and discuss how they impact judgment and behavior.

Chapter 4

1. Discuss the concept of interdependence and list three ways to strengthen relationships at work.
2. List two ways to demonstrate loyalty to your coworkers and two ways to demonstrate loyalty to your employer.
3. Identify two types of workplace teams and give an example of each.
4. Define the term inclusive and give two examples.
5. Explain the role of courtesy, etiquette, and manners in the workplace.
6. Define concensus and explain why it's important but difficult to achieve.
7. List three problems that may occur when communicating electronically and describe three ways to prevent them from happening.
8. Define conflict resolution and explain its importance.
9. Name the four styles of communication and describe the potential impact of each style.
10. Identify which communication style is most effective in conflict resolution and explain why.

Chapter 5

1. Give three examples of diversity in addition to age and gender.
2. Define the term culture and give three examples.
3. Define the term bias and disparities and explain how bias can result in health care disparities for members of minority cultural groups.
4. Explain why health care workers need to be culturally competent.
5. Give two examples of generational differences and describe how they might affect someone's work.
6. List four types of health care customers.

Chapter 6

1. Define personal skills and explain how they affect your success as a health care worker.
2. Define personal image and describe how personal image affects patient care.
3. List five appearance and grooming factors that resut in a professional image.
4. Discuss stereotypes and how they impact first impressions.
5. List three examples of annoying and troublesome personal habits.
6. Describe how grammar and vocabulary impact your personal image.
7. Discuss the importance of maintaining professionalism after hours.
8. Explain why health care employers are encouraging their employees to become healthier and give two examples.
9. Define personal management skills and give three examples.
10. Explain the importance of good time management skills and list three time management techniques.
11. Explain the importance of good stress management skills and list three stress management techniques.
12. Define adaptive skills and explain why the abilty to manage change is so important in health care today.
13. Explain the importance of good personal financial management skills and list three financial management techniques.

Chapter 7

1. Discuss examples of proper behavior while in clinic and/or community service projects.
2. Describe three ways to prepare for clinic and/or community projects.
3. Explain the importance of patient confidentiality during clinic and/or community service projects.
4. Describe the connection between clinic and/or community service projects and employment after graduation.
5. Define the term protocol.
6. List three sources of information on job openings.
7. Describe four characteristics of a professional resume.
8. Name five things you should do when filling out a job application form.
9. Explain why employers use pre-employment assessments.
10. Describe five ways to present a professional image during a job interview.
11. Discuss four characteristics of effective leaders.
12. Identify two ways to develop leadership skills.
13. List three benefits of joining a health care professional association.
14. Describe five resources for professional development.
15. Define role model and mentor and explain the difference.

The student will know that these objective have been successfully completed if he or she earns a final course grade of "C" or higher as evaluated by the instructor.

The standard for the objectives may be one or any combination of the following:

• As given in lecture
• As demonstrated, discussed in the clinic experience
• As given in handouts
• As stated in the course texts
• As given on exams                                                          

Students Rights and Responsibilities

Student Rights and Responsibilities

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Expected Student Behavior

A high standard of conduct is expected of all Amarillo College students.  The Student Code of Conduct is defined in the Amarillo College Student Rights and Responsibilities publication.  This document may be located online at www.actx.edu.

"Amarillo College expects a high standard of conduct from its students.  Students are expected to comply with the law, respect proper constitutional authority, and obey College policies, rules and regulations.  Unacceptable conduct is defined as an action or behavior that is contrary to the best interest of a fellow student or students, the faculty or staff, the College, or the teaching learning process.  Students failing to perform according to established standards may be subject to disciplinary action.  Policies, standards, rules and regulations apply to students attending College activities whether the activity takes place on or off campus.  Each student shall be responsible for becoming knowledgeable of the contents and provisions of College policies, rules, and regulations concerning student conduct.  In some cases, individual programs may have approved policies for student conduct which also apply to student conduct in those programs."

The Amarillo College Dental Hygiene Program has specific policies which apply to student conduct within the program.  These policies have been implied or written.  The course syllabi and the Program Manual are sources for student conduct policies for Dental Hygiene students at Amarillo College.

Professional Standards

• All dental hygiene students are expected to demonstrate professionalism in behavior, manner, and judgment in the dental hygiene clinic and clinic rotation sites.  The area of professionalism includes appearance, asepsis, patient management, peer, faculty and staff interaction and documentation.  Guidelines for professionalism and professional appearances are discussed in the AC Dental Hygiene Clinic Manual.  Professionalism will be evaluated on a continual basis.
• Students will exhibit professional maturity and an acceptable level of clinical judgment as determined by the  faculty.  Unprofessional behavior may be defined as a continual pattern of misconduct and/or an egregious act that endangers the health of the patients, students, faculty, and/or College.  Egregious acts also include violations of the Texas Dental Hygiene Practice Act and falsification of patient records and/or faculty signatures.
• Students must be competent in the application of the principles of ethical reasoning, ethical decision making and professional responsibility as they pertain to patient care.  Dental hygienists should understand and practice ethical behavior consistent with the professional code of ethics throughout the educational experiences.  The following are examples which are considered professional standards.  These are representative examples and may not be all inclusive.  For maximum learning to occur, the student is expected to demonstrate professional conduct and judgment at all times.
• Student is concerned with excellence in learning rather than just meeting minimal criteria.
• Student maintains his/her composure, dealing with conflict in a constructive way.
• Student exhibits an attitude of respect for classmates, faculty, and staff.  If a student has a conflict with a grade given by the instructor, the student must follow the outlined grievance procedure.  Faculty will not change a grade given to a student from another faculty member.

Safety:  Individual Responsibility

This course supports the Amarillo College policies regarding responsibility for a safe environment.

Amarillo College is in compliance with environmental, health and safety regulations, and therefore requires that all AC employees, students, and visitors comply to maintain a safe environment.

Report hazardous conditions and safety concerns immediately to their supervisors, instructors, staff, and/or emergency management personnel, as appropriate.

Abide in safe practices and procedures established by the College.

Adhere to and cooperate fully with all local, state, and federal regulations concerning environmental, health, and safety issues.

Take action to resolve workplace issues when appropriate.

Statement of Confidentiality

Confidentiality is the duty owed by dental hygiene professionals, including students enrolled in Dental Hygiene accredited programs, to protect the privacy of all patient information.  Dental Hygiene professionals clearly have an obligation to keep MEDICAL and PERSONAL information about patients in the strictest confidence at all times.  Unless disclosure is mandated by patient consent, statute, a duty to inform third parties, or special circumstances, dental hygiene professionals have a clear duty to maintain confidentiality of all patient information.

Breach of duty to hold such information in the strictest confidence, may cause liability for the individual student such as fines, imprisonment, and dismissal from the program.  In the professional “Code of Ethics”, the American Dental Hygienists’ Association Code of Ethics for dental hygienists has published the following statement which all dental hygiene professionals (including students) must always follow:

“We respect the confidentiality of client information and relationships as a demonstration of the value we place on individual autonomy.  We acknowledge our obligation to justify any violation of confidence.”

Instructor Help and Student Participation

It is very important that you seek faculty input regarding your performance so that you may:

• Gain confidence in your performance
• Identify problem areas and determine methods for correcting deficiencies
• Attain competence

All students are considered mature enough to seek faculty assistance and to monitor their own progress.  Please meet with your assigned instructor as soon as possible if you have questions or difficulties in this course.  Faculty are committed to supporting your success.  Please remember, however, that you are the only person who can make us aware that you need assistance.

Amarillo College Dental Hygiene Mentoring Program

The student has a very important role in the mentoring process.  Each student will be assigned a mentor at the beginning of the semester.  The mentor/mentee list will be posted in the locker room and emailed to each student.  As partners in the mentoring relationship, students have responsibilities to:

• Contact mentors and arrange for a mentoring appointment:  1 in February and 1 in April
• Be aware of their mentoring needs and discuss these needs with mentors
• Maintain regular communication with their assigned mentors

Prepare for mentoring meetings by:

• Setting daily and weekly goals for program progression
• Assessing attainment of these goals
• Identify impediments to achieving these goals

It is the student’s responsibility to contact mentors and arrange appointments.  Failure to arrange and/or keep appointments will result in a two-point deduction from the final course grade for each occurrence in the semester.

Mandatory Skills Building/Tutoring

In an effort to increase student success in DHYG courses, and to assist students having difficulty understanding complex subject areas, any student wo scores below a 75% on any exam (excluding the final) must complete a mandatory skills building assignment before taking the next exam.  Before receiving a skills assignment, you must first schedule a time with the instructor.  The assignment will be given at that time.

 

Electronic and Recording Devices

In order to maximize learning, all electronic recording devices and cell phones are prohibited in this course.  If a student is caught with a cell phone in hand or in a uniform pocket, or actively texting, talking, or surfing the Internet during a clinic session, the student will immediately be dismissed from the Clinic and/or Class and will receive a grade of "0". 

Mailboxes

Each student is assigned a mailbox located inside the student dressing room.  Students are required to check his/her mailbox daily for various communication from faculty.

Emergency Contacts

Phone numbers that family members may use to reach a student in case of an emergency are as follows:

Dental Clinic Office Supervisor:  354-6050

Amarillo College Police:  371-5163

Academic Grievance Procedure

A student who has a grievance concerning an academic course in which he/she is enrolled is directed to appeal in the following order to the:  (1) Instructor (2) Department Chair/Program Director (3) Dean of Health Sciences (4) Vice President of Academic Affairs (5) College President

Grading Criteria

Assignments and Examinations 

The course will consist of major examinations, a mid-term exam, online reading assignments from  the website http://www.dentalcare.com, preparation of a professional resume utilizing  the Career Center at Amarillo College, and a final examination.  Please refer to the course calendar for the schedule of materials to be covered in each class and the examination dates.  Also, please note the provisions of the Make-up Policy in this syllabus for missed examinations. 

Exams will be given to evaluate your mastery of course content.  Exams will be developed and distributed by the Course Director during regularly scheduled class times. The last exam requirement consists of the State Board of Dental Examiners (SBDE) Jurisprudence Examination as required for licensure.  A copy of the certificate of completion is required.to receive credit for this exam.  The Jurisprudence Examination requirement can only be met by proof of the successful completion of the State Board of Dental Examiners (SBDE) Jurisprudence as required for licensure.

 

Learning Activities/Readings

Online reading assignments from the following website www.dentalcare.com include the following:

1.  Health Literacy for the Dental Team

2.  Maintaining Proper Dental Records

3.  The Business of Dentistry:  Financial Management for the Dental Office

4.  The Business of Dentistry:  Patient Records and Records Management

Additional Readings:

• Article:  Why Risk Management Matters to You, Access, November 2006, Vol. 20, Issue 9 (Pages 33-5)
• Article:  Common Areas of Legal Risk, Access, February 2007, Vol. 21, Issue 2 (pages 37-40)
• Article:  Documentation, Recordkeeping, and Risk Management, Access, December 2007, Vol. 21, Issue 10, (pages 39-41).

The content from the assigned reading  will be discussed either in class or through an online discussion board.  Students will be tested over this material on the Mid-Term Exam.

You will be required to prepare your own personal resume, an introduction/cover letter and a follow-up thank you letter.

Grading Criteria

The final course grade will be computed as follows:

• Major Exams:  40%                       
• Completed Resume :  10%       
• Mid-Term Examination :  30%
• Final Examination :  20%                   

 The following course grade scale applies throughtout this course:

• A = 93-100
• B = 83-92
• C= 75-82
• F= Below 75%

Note:  A grade of "D" is not possible in this course.

In order to pass the course, a student must achieve a final grade of 75% and meet all requirements for the course. 

Make-up Policy

If a student is absent on the day when a major exam is given, the student may make-up the missed work as follows:

1.  It is the responsibility of the student to make arrangements with the instructor within 24 hours of returning from the absence to reschedule  the examination.
2.  The missed work must be made up within TWO Amarillo College school days where the day ends at 4:00 p.m.
3.  The make-up work may earn a maximum of 80% of the original point value.

 

 

 

Attendance

Attendance Policy

"Regular attendance is necessary for satisfactory achievement.  Therefore, it is the responsibility of the student to attend class in accordance with the requirements of the course as established by the instructor."  (Amarillo College Student's Rights and Responsibilities Publication)

Due to the tremendous amount of information contained in this course, the student who plans to succeed should also plan to attend all course sessions regulary and promptly.  Without question, the instructor expects each student to be present at each session.  Unfortunately, no one has ever developed a short cut which will replace hours of actual experience needed to master a new skill; therefore students must be present to acquire the specific knowledge in this subject.  It is expected of each student to complete the reading assignments and to review the power points associated with the chapters prior to class.  

Absences will be monitored and evaluated to determine the student's final course grade.  The student may have no more than 1 absence in this course without affecting the final grade.  Beginning with the 2nd absence, 2 points will be deducted from the final grade; on the 3rd absence, 3 points will be deducted; on the 4th absence, 4 points will be deducted.  On the occurrence of the 5th absence, the student will fail the course and be required to repeat the course.  Attendance will be taken at the beginning of each lecture and lab session.  Students who are not present when attendance is taken will be counted as absent.  Students are expected to be present in class at the time class/lab is scheduled to begin.  STUDENTS WHO ARE LATE TO CLASS OR LAB OR WHO LEAVE CLASS OR LAB EARLY, WILL BE COUNTED AS ABSENT.  The student will receive 2 bonus points to the final grade in this course if the student has perfect attendance for the semester.

Calendar

Additional Information

http://www.actx.edu/resources/

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This website was created to assist Amarillo employees and students.  Many times, students come to us with individual concerns/situations that need to be addressed in order for the student to be successful in school.

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This website can be used to find those needed resources for our students and their families.  Feel free to copy any of this information for a student and to refer students as needed.

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Our goal is to provide as much information as possible for employees and students to be able to access campus and community resources when needed.  There are many more resources in this community that are not listed on these pages.  Some of these agencies and programs will change; so if you call and cannot get assistance or cannot access a broken link, please contact me for more updated information.

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This website will be updated as often as possible; therefore most will be current.  If the resources listed do not serve the needs you have or if you have any questions concerning this website, please call or email:  Jordan Herrera, LMSW, Coordinator of Social Services, 806-371-5439, http://jordan@actx.edu.