Dental Hygiene Educators' Perspectives Towards Manikin Testing for Clinical Licensure Examination.

The use of manikin testing was recently introduced for dental hygiene licensure examinations. There is currently a lack of research about the efficacy and accuracy of manikin testing for clinical licensure. The purpose of this study is to identify perceptions of dental hygiene educators regarding the use of manikins for the dental hygiene clinical licensure exam. This qualitative study used an exploratory, online, focus group design with 20 dental hygiene educator participants recruited through purposive sampling. Pseudonyms were used to protect participants confidentiality. Two groups of educators were from institutions that did not use manikin testing during COVID-19, and two groups of educators were from institutions that did use manikin testing during the same time period. Themes were analyzed using the classic analysis strategy. Validity was established using investigator triangulation, member checks, and saturation. Lack of knowledge including preconceived assumptions regarding manikin examinations; testing considerations with benefits and concerns regarding manikins versus live patients; and perceptions regarding the value of single point in time clinical licensure examinations were the three major themes identified by the participants. The manikin exam appeared to address ethical concerns, however, there were limitations in relation to assessing critical thinking and decision-making skills. Some participants expressed that graduation from an accredited dental hygiene program was considered sufficient for licensure. Future studies should include comparisons of recent graduates who complete a clinical licensure examination versus those who do not complete a clinical licensure examination.