Exploring the career experiences of Australian oral health therapists in different practice settings.

IF 0.9 4区医学 Q3 DENTISTRY, ORAL SURGERY & MEDICINE

Community dental health Pub Date : 2022-05-27 DOI:10.1922/CDH_00258Chen07

D Chen, A C Holden, M J Hayes

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Objective: To examine the reasons behind Australian oral health therapists (OHTs) pursuing different career pathways.

Basic research design: Qualitative study with thematic analysis within an inductive realist approach.

Methods: A convenience sample of OHTs completed semi-structured interviews on Zoom. Participants discussed their experiences working as OHTs and commented on the future directions for the profession in Australia.

Results: Participants (n=21) chose clinical practice due to excellent job availability, good remuneration, and the opportunity to use their knowledge. Many indicated that non-clinical careers helped relieve the stress and fatigue of clinical practice. Some also enjoyed the variety that non-clinical jobs brought and viewed them as a means to advance their career. Participants indicated the need to better communicate the professional role and scope of practice of the OHT profession to other healthcare providers such as dentists and the general public. Some viewed independent practice as a way to serve the community. Others did not feel that they had the knowledge and skills to do so.

Conclusion: These findings may help individual OHTs in career decision-making. OHTs could assume a major role in addressing oral healthcare inequality in Australia.

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探索澳大利亚口腔健康治疗师在不同实践环境下的职业经验。

目的:探讨澳大利亚口腔健康治疗师(OHTs)追求不同职业道路的原因。基本研究设计:在归纳现实主义方法中进行专题分析的定性研究。方法:选取方便样本，在Zoom上完成半结构化访谈。与会者讨论了他们作为职业治疗师的工作经验，并对澳大利亚职业治疗师的未来发展方向发表了意见。结果:参与者(n=21)选择临床实践，因为有良好的工作机会，良好的薪酬，并有机会使用他们的知识。许多人表示，非临床职业有助于缓解临床实践的压力和疲劳。有些人还喜欢非临床工作带来的多样性，并将其视为推进职业发展的一种手段。与会者指出，有必要更好地向牙医等其他医疗服务提供者和公众宣传职业治疗师的专业角色和执业范围。一些人认为独立执业是为社区服务的一种方式。另一些人则认为他们没有这样做的知识和技能。结论:本研究结果对职业治疗师个体的职业决策有一定的指导意义。OHTs可以在解决澳大利亚口腔保健不平等问题方面发挥重要作用。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Community dental health 医学-牙科与口腔外科

CiteScore

2.20

自引率

11.80%

发文量

审稿时长

6-12 weeks

期刊介绍： The journal is concerned with dental public health and related subjects. Dental public health is the science and the art of preventing oral disease, promoting oral health, and improving the quality of life through the organised efforts of society. The discipline covers a wide range and includes such topics as: -oral epidemiology- oral health services research- preventive dentistry - especially in relation to communities- oral health education and promotion- clinical research - with particular emphasis on the care of special groups- behavioural sciences related to dentistry- decision theory- quality of life- risk analysis- ethics and oral health economics- quality assessment. The journal publishes scientific articles on the relevant fields, review articles, discussion papers, news items, and editorials. It is of interest to dentists working in dental public health and to other professionals concerned with disease prevention, health service planning, and health promotion throughout the world. In the case of epidemiology of oral diseases the Journal prioritises national studies unless local studies have major methodological innovations or information of particular interest.