ERIC Number: ED328306
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 1990-Sep-28
Pages: 22
Abstractor: N/A
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Follow-Up Study of 1989 Dental Hygiene Graduates. Volume XIX, No. 2.
Holt, Marianne; Lucas, John A.
In a continuing effort to measure the quality of their Dental Hygiene program, explore the need for changes, and substantiate the program's goals for accreditation standards, a follow-up study was conducted of the 1989 Dental Hygiene program graduates from William Rainey Harper College (WRHC). A survey was mailed to all 29 associate degree graduates, requesting information on their current employment and/or enrollment in school, employment search experience, salary/benefits, job satisfaction, job tasks, the quality of their WRHC preparation for those tasks, and suggestions for improving the WRHC program. Study findings, based on an 86% response rate, included the following: (1) all of the 25 respondents were employed in the dental hygiene field, with 16 working full time; (2) 46% of the respondents were working in a job setting with only one practitioner, while 54% worked with more than one practitioner; (3) respondents' search for employment typically involved 2.5 interviews, with 32% using the local newspaper and 68% using a personal contact; (4) 80% of the graduates were paid on an hourly basis, with a median wage of $16.75 per hour, or approximately $34,000 per year, up 10% from 1988 graduates; (5) 72% of the respondents were very satisfied with their chosen profession; (6) respondents reported being underprepared to perform 5 of the 34 skills for which they were trained, but in all cases the skill was seldom performed; and (7) while only three graduates were currently working toward an advanced degree, 50% declared intentions to do so. Detailed data tables and the survey instrument are included. (GFW)
Descriptors: Allied Health Occupations Education, College Graduates, Community Colleges, Dental Hygienists, Graduate Surveys, Job Satisfaction, Job Search Methods, Job Skills, Outcomes of Education, Participant Satisfaction, Program Evaluation, Questionnaires, Salaries, Student Attitudes, Two Year Colleges, Vocational Education, Vocational Followup
Publication Type: Reports - Research; Tests/Questionnaires; Numerical/Quantitative Data
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: William Rainey Harper Coll., Palatine, IL. Office of Planning and Research.
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A