Abstract
OBJECTIVES: This study compares the scope of practice of Dutch dental hygienists (DHs) educated through a 2- or 3-year curriculum ('old-style DHs') with that of hygienists educated through a new extended 4-year curriculum leading to a bachelor's degree ('new-style DHs'), with the aim to investigate whether an extended scope of practice positively affects perceived skill variety, autonomy and job satisfaction.
METHODS: The questionnaires were obtained from old- and new-style DHs (n = 413, response 38%; n = 219, response 59%, respectively), in which respondents had recorded their dental tasks, perceived skill variety, autonomy and job satisfaction. T -tests were used to analyse differences between old- and new-style DHs, and regression analyses were performed to assess the relation between scope of practice and skill variety, autonomy and job satisfaction.
RESULTS: New-style DHs have a more extended scope of practice compared with old-style DHs. Despite their more complex jobs, which are theoretically related to higher job satisfaction, new-style DHs perceive lower autonomy and job satisfaction (P < 0.05). Skill variety is the strongest predictor for DHs' job satisfaction (β = 0.462), followed by autonomy (β = 0.202) and caries decisive tasks, the last affecting job satisfaction negatively (β = -0.149). Self-employment is the strongest significant predictor for autonomy (β = 0.272).
CONCLUSIONS: The core business of DHs remains the prevention and periodontology services. New-style DHs combine these tasks with extended tasks in the caries field, which can lead to comparatively less job satisfaction, because of a lower experienced autonomy in performing these extended tasks.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 155-162 |
| Journal | International dental journal |
| Volume | 10 |
| Issue number | 3 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Aug 2012 |
Keywords
- clinical competence
- dental hygienists
- education, dental
- job satisfaction
- netherlands
- stress, psychological
- work
Cite this
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Job satisfaction and job content in Dutch dental hygienists. / Jerkovic-Cosic, Katarina; van Offenbeek, M. A. G.; van der Schans, Cees.
In: International dental journal, Vol. 10, No. 3, 08.2012, p. 155-162.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Academic › peer-review
TY - JOUR
T1 - Job satisfaction and job content in Dutch dental hygienists
AU - Jerkovic-Cosic, Katarina
AU - van Offenbeek, M. A. G.
AU - van der Schans, Cees
N1 - © 2012 John Wiley & Sons A/S.
PY - 2012/8
Y1 - 2012/8
N2 - OBJECTIVES: This study compares the scope of practice of Dutch dental hygienists (DHs) educated through a 2- or 3-year curriculum ('old-style DHs') with that of hygienists educated through a new extended 4-year curriculum leading to a bachelor's degree ('new-style DHs'), with the aim to investigate whether an extended scope of practice positively affects perceived skill variety, autonomy and job satisfaction.METHODS: The questionnaires were obtained from old- and new-style DHs (n = 413, response 38%; n = 219, response 59%, respectively), in which respondents had recorded their dental tasks, perceived skill variety, autonomy and job satisfaction. T -tests were used to analyse differences between old- and new-style DHs, and regression analyses were performed to assess the relation between scope of practice and skill variety, autonomy and job satisfaction.RESULTS: New-style DHs have a more extended scope of practice compared with old-style DHs. Despite their more complex jobs, which are theoretically related to higher job satisfaction, new-style DHs perceive lower autonomy and job satisfaction (P < 0.05). Skill variety is the strongest predictor for DHs' job satisfaction (β = 0.462), followed by autonomy (β = 0.202) and caries decisive tasks, the last affecting job satisfaction negatively (β = -0.149). Self-employment is the strongest significant predictor for autonomy (β = 0.272).CONCLUSIONS: The core business of DHs remains the prevention and periodontology services. New-style DHs combine these tasks with extended tasks in the caries field, which can lead to comparatively less job satisfaction, because of a lower experienced autonomy in performing these extended tasks.
AB - OBJECTIVES: This study compares the scope of practice of Dutch dental hygienists (DHs) educated through a 2- or 3-year curriculum ('old-style DHs') with that of hygienists educated through a new extended 4-year curriculum leading to a bachelor's degree ('new-style DHs'), with the aim to investigate whether an extended scope of practice positively affects perceived skill variety, autonomy and job satisfaction.METHODS: The questionnaires were obtained from old- and new-style DHs (n = 413, response 38%; n = 219, response 59%, respectively), in which respondents had recorded their dental tasks, perceived skill variety, autonomy and job satisfaction. T -tests were used to analyse differences between old- and new-style DHs, and regression analyses were performed to assess the relation between scope of practice and skill variety, autonomy and job satisfaction.RESULTS: New-style DHs have a more extended scope of practice compared with old-style DHs. Despite their more complex jobs, which are theoretically related to higher job satisfaction, new-style DHs perceive lower autonomy and job satisfaction (P < 0.05). Skill variety is the strongest predictor for DHs' job satisfaction (β = 0.462), followed by autonomy (β = 0.202) and caries decisive tasks, the last affecting job satisfaction negatively (β = -0.149). Self-employment is the strongest significant predictor for autonomy (β = 0.272).CONCLUSIONS: The core business of DHs remains the prevention and periodontology services. New-style DHs combine these tasks with extended tasks in the caries field, which can lead to comparatively less job satisfaction, because of a lower experienced autonomy in performing these extended tasks.
KW - clinical competence
KW - dental hygienists
KW - education, dental
KW - job satisfaction
KW - netherlands
KW - stress, psychological
KW - work
KW - klinische competentie
KW - mondhygiënisten
KW - educatie, tandheelkundig
KW - baantevredenheid
KW - nederland
KW - stress, psychologisch
KW - werk
U2 - 10.1111/j.1601-5037.2012.00567.x
DO - 10.1111/j.1601-5037.2012.00567.x
M3 - Article
VL - 10
SP - 155
EP - 162
JO - International dental journal
JF - International dental journal
SN - 0020-6539
IS - 3
ER -