International employment in clinical practice: influencing factors for the dental hygienist.
OBJECTIVE
To assess demographics, job characteristics, geographical regions, resources and commitment, which influence dental hygienists seeking international clinical practice employment opportunities.


METHODS
Questionnaires were mailed to a convenience sample of members of the Dental Hygienists' Association of the City of New York. Statistical analyses were conducted and frequency distributions and relationships between variables were calculated.


RESULTS
Seventy-two percent of respondents reported that they are or may be interested in working overseas. Italy and Spain (67%) were the regions of most interest. Salary (65%) was cited as the most influencing factor in selection, whereas non-compliance with the equivalency to Occupational Safety and Health Administration standards (74%) was the most frequently perceived barrier. Multiple language fluency was statistically significant (0.003) regarding interest in overseas employment.


CONCLUSIONS
Policy makers, employers and educators need to be aware of these findings should recruitment be a possibility to render urgently needed oral hygiene care in regions where there is a perceived shortage of dental hygienists.
Abbott
A
A
New York University, Dental Hygiene Department, New York, NY, USA. ala257@nyu.edu
Barrow
S-Y
SY
Lopresti
F
F
Hittelman
E
E
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003756:Dental Hygienists / Q000523:psychology*; D004641:Emigration and Immigration; D004651:Employment; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D038622:Internationality; D007588:Job Satisfaction; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012953:Societies, Dental; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States