Abstract
Objectives : This study aimed to get the data necessary for dental hygiene students to perceive the need for establishing a professional identity as dental hygienists and developing a program which reinforce pride as a preliminary professional. Methods : The subjects were 695 dental hygiene students in Seoul, Gyeonggi and Chungcheong areas. The collected data were analyzed using the SPSS program. Results : 1. The professional identity of dental hygiene students was 3.02 points, and the satisfaction with institutes for practice was 2.96 points. 2. The higher the satisfaction with the major was, the higher the identity was. Also, the identity was high when the frequency of clinical practice was 1 (3.11 points) and when they selected their major which corresponds with his aptitude (3.20 points). 3. The satisfaction with clinical practice was high when they didn't have any experience in dental clinic before clinical practice and when the satisfaction with the major was high. 4. Regarding the correlation between the professional identity and the satisfaction with clinical practice, the higher the satisfaction with clinical practice, the higher the professional identity. 5. The effective variables regarding the professional identity were satisfaction with a major, satisfaction with clinical practice, and frequency of clinical practice. Conclusions : The professional identity of students may be established through school education involving clinical practice. The identity of students may affect the occupational satisfaction, the identity and the work efficiency of dental hygienists in the future. Thus, it is deemed necessary to have a continued collaborative relationship between a school and an institute for clinical practice so that students may establish their correct views and identity.
