Szabo Kathleen Bell, Boyd Linda D, LaSpina Lisa M
J Dent Hyg. 2018 Dec;92(6):16-23.
Research indicates that geriatric education continues to be inadequate across the health professions and graduates are unprepared to care for the increasing numbers of older adults. The purpose of this study was to explore dental hygiene practitioners' perspectives regarding whether their dental hygiene education prepared them to treat older adults in community and institutional settings. A qualitative phenomenological study design was utilized to conduct in-depth interviews with a purposive sample of dental hygienists currently providing care for older adult patients in alternative practice settings. Fifteen dental hygienists from across the U.S. working with older patients in alternative settings, met the inclusion criteria (n=15). Common themes related to dental hygiene practice emerged from the qualitative data included: adapting patient care to alternative settings; emotional toll on the practitioner; physical challenges; outcome goals for treatment; need for hands-on clinical experience in alternative settings as dental hygiene students; and working as part of an interprofessional team. Participants generally agreed that they were not prepared to care for dependent older adults in alternative settings as part of their dental hygiene education. Clinical experiences working with older adults in alternative settings, as part of the dental hygiene clinical curriculum, are needed to prepare graduates to care for this growing population.
研究表明，老年医学教育在整个健康专业领域仍然不足，毕业生没有做好照顾日益增多的老年人的准备。本研究的目的是探讨牙科保健从业者对于其牙科保健教育是否使他们有能力在社区和机构环境中治疗老年人的看法。采用定性现象学研究设计，对目前在替代实践环境中为老年患者提供护理的牙科保健员进行了有目的抽样的深入访谈。来自美国各地、在替代环境中为老年患者提供服务的15名牙科保健员符合纳入标准（n = 15）。定性数据中出现的与牙科保健实践相关的共同主题包括：使患者护理适应替代环境；对从业者的情感影响；身体挑战；治疗的结果目标；作为牙科保健专业学生在替代环境中获得实践经验的必要性；以及作为跨专业团队的一员开展工作。参与者普遍认为，作为牙科保健教育的一部分，他们没有准备好在替代环境中照顾依赖他人的老年人。需要将在替代环境中与老年人合作的临床经验纳入牙科保健临床课程，以使毕业生有能力照顾这一不断增长的人群。
