title: Dental hygiene student experiences in external placements in Australia.
abstract: While placements in external locations are being increasingly used in dental education globally, few studies have explored the student learning experience at such placements. The purpose of this study was to investigate student experiences while on external placement in a baccalaureate dental hygiene program. A self-reporting questionnaire was distributed to final-year dental hygiene students (n=77) at the University of Newcastle, Australia, in 2010. The questionnaire included questions regarding the type of placement, experiences offered, supervision, resources available, and lasting impressions. Responding students were generally positive about their external placement experience and indicated that the majority of facilities provided them with the opportunity to provide direct patient care and perform clinical tasks typical of a practicing hygienist. However, there was a statistically significant difference in their opinions about discipline-focused and community placements. Students indicated that their external placement experience provided opportunities to learn more about time and patient management, including hands-on experience with specific clinical tasks. Ongoing evaluations are necessary to ensure that external placements meet both student needs and intended learning outcomes within dental hygiene programs.
authors.affiliation: School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Health, University of Newcastle, Ourimbah, Australia.
authors.forename: Jane A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Taylor
authors.forename: Melanie J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Hayes
authors.forename: Linda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wallace
mesh_terms: D002983:Clinical Competence; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003153:Community Health Services; D003729:Dental Care; D003740:Dental Clinics; D003756:Dental Hygienists / Q000193:education*; D003777:Dental Prophylaxis; D012534:Dental Scaling; D005246:Feedback; D006801:Humans; D007588:Job Satisfaction; D007858:Learning; D009517:New South Wales; D009910:Oral Hygiene; D010348:Patient Care Team; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D011231:Preceptorship; D015397:Program Evaluation; D019035:Rural Health Services; D013334:Students; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D017748:Time Management