Assessing dental hygiene clinical competence for initial licensure: a Delphi study of dental hygiene program...

The purpose of this study was to describe the best way to determine clinical competence prior to issuing the dental hygiene license.

Directors of dental hygiene programs in the United States, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands were asked to describe the best way to determine clinical competence prior to issuing the dental hygiene license. Three rounds of the Delphi process were used to seek a level of consensus among panel members. A total of 44 directors (19% of the population) from dental hygiene schools participated in at least one round of the study. Sixteen directors participated in all three rounds. Likert scale and ranking questionnaires followed the initial open-ended question.

A level of consensus was achieved on 47% of the initial statements describing the determination of clinical competence. A list of the top 10 most agreed upon responses to the initial question was generated. Ongoing process evaluations within the accredited dental hygiene program, was suggested as the best determination of clinical competence for dental hygiene licensure.

The findings suggest that dental hygiene clinical competence is best determined throughout a continuum of process and product examinations, rather than in a one-time product evaluation. Accreditation was acknowledged as an important element in standardizing the assessment of clinical competence. Organized dental hygiene should develop a protocol for licensing new dental hygienists and work with state boards of dentistry on its implementation.