Oral Health Educator Session
DR, PhD
Roisin McGrath
The University of Melbourne
Australia
DR, PhD
Ron Knevel
Curtin University, DHAA
Australia
Join us for the inaugural Dental Hygiene Educator session at ISDH 2024 in Seoul
Are you a passionate dental hygiene educator seeking clarity on student Fitness to Practice processes? Look no further! Our interactive workshop offers an opportunity to delve into the critical aspects of Fitness to Practice implementation in dental hygiene and oral health training programs.
Fitness to practice: Preparing dental hygiene and oral health students for the delivery of safe, quality care
Students enrolled in dental hygiene and oral health programs are required to meet the standards of professional behaviour outlined in university policies and the expectations of their intended profession (e.g. Code of Conduct, Code of Practice).
Students provide treatment and care to patients during their training; therefore, students must consistently demonstrate their ‘Fitness to Practice’. Student FtP is a multifaceted process encompassing:
Professional behaviour and attitudes (student conduct)
Performance (student technical, academic and clinical competence)
Health and wellbeing (student compliance and freedom from impairment)
As dental hygiene and oral health clinical educators/academics, we have a responsibility to balance student remediation and learning support with the need to ensure patient safety and the prevention of harm.
The purpose of this interactive workshop is to explore how Fitness to Practice policies and procedures are being implemented in dental hygiene and oral health programs, to collaborate and learn from experiences in different settings.
Learning outcomes
At the end of this session, you will:
1. Understand the role of FtP in ensuring patient safety and quality care
2. Discuss how FTP fits into assessment frameworks
3. Develop strategies for providing support and remediation to students with FTP issues
