A Study on Enrollment Satisfaction, Career Directions, and Image of Dental Hygienists for Dental Hygiene Students in Some Regions

A self-administered survey was conducted in dental hygiene students at colleges or universities in Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province to provide basic data necessary to suggest standards for the direction of career for dental hygiene students and construct desirable image of dental hygienists. The data were collected from February to May 2013; with the exception of 46 questionnaires containing insincere responses, 1,679 were finally analyzed using SPSS/Win 18.0, drawing the following conclusion: The freshmen showed higher levels of regret for selection and enrollment recommendation than the sophomores, juniors, or seniors and the sophomores, juniors, and seniors showed higher levels of willingness to change courses than the freshmen; thus, those in lower grades showed higher environment satisfaction. As for desired career, regardless of grades, they showed higher preference for being employed as a dental hygienist; as for desired paths to get a job, the freshmen were more likely to get professors' recommendations and the sophomores, juniors, and seniors showed higher preference for open recruitment. They showed higher preference for getting a job in a large city because of greater possibility of improvement. As for the desired period of employment, regardless of grades, they showed higher preference for employment before getting married and for reemployment after their children grew up; as for desired workplace, the freshmen showed higher preference for a dental clinic in a hospital, whereas the sophomores, juniors, and seniors showed higher preference for a dental hospital. As for the differences in image of dental hygienists by grades, the freshmen and sophomores showed higher levels of attitudes than the juniors; the freshmen and sophomores showed higher levels of beliefs than the juniors or seniors; and the seniors showed higher levels of values than the freshmen, sophomores, or juniors, and the sophomores and juniors showed higher levels of values than the freshmen; thus, students in lower grades showed higher levels of attitudes and beliefs and those in higher grades showed higher levels of values. Such factors of enrollment satisfaction as willingness to change courses and persuasion to make enrollment had significant effects on image of dental hygienists. Dental hygiene students need to make efforts to establish a job identity and get desirable image of dental hygienists and to make constant efforts to promote more accurate and positive image of dental hygienists through systematic and positive public relations.

일부지역 치위생(학)과 학생들의 진학만족도와 진로방향, 치과위생사 이미지에 관한 연구

본 연구는 치위생(학)과 학생들의 진로방향에 대한 기준제시와 치과위생사의 바람직한 이미지 구축에 필요한 기초자료를 마련하고자 대구 경북지역 소재 대학 치위생(학)과 재학생을 대상으로 자기기입식 설문조사를 실시하였다. 자료 수집은 2013년 2월부터 2013년 5월까지 수행하였고, 수집된 자료 중 응답이 불성실한 46부의 설문지를 제외한 1,679부를 SPSS/Win18.0을 사용하여 최종 분석하였고, 다음과 같은 결론을 얻었다. 선택후회와 진학추천의 경우 1학년이 2, 3, 4학년보다 높았고, 전과의지는 3, 2, 4학년이 1학년보다 높은 것으로 나타나, 저학년일수록 진학만족도가 높았다. 희망진로는 모든 학년에서 치과위생사로의 취업이 높았고, 취업 희망경로는 1학년의 경우 교수추천, 2학년, 3학년, 4학년의 경우 공개채용이 높았다. 취업희망 지역은 대도시, 선택이유는 발전가능성이 높았다. 취업 희망기간은 모든 학년에서 결혼 전, 자녀성장 후 재취업이 높았고, 희망근무처는 1학년 대학병원치과, 2학년, 3학년, 4학년의 경우 치과병원이 높았다. 학년에 따른 치위생사 이미지 차이에서 태도의 경우 1, 2학년이 3학년보다 높았고, 신념은 1, 2학년이 3, 4학년보다 높았으며, 가치는 4학년이 1, 3, 2학년보다, 2, 3학년이 1학년보다 높은 것으로 나타나, 태도와 신념은 저학년일수록, 가치는 고학년일수록 높았다. 진학만족도 요인 중, 전과의지와 진학권유 요인이 치과위생사 이미지에 유의한 영향을 미치는 것으로 나타났다. 치위생(학)과 학생들은 직업에 대한 정체성을 확립하고, 치과위생사의 바람직한 이미지화를 위해 노력해야 할 것이며, 체계적이고, 적극적인 홍보활동을 통하여 치과위생사에 대한 보다 정확하고, 긍정적인 이미지를 높이기 위한 끊임없는 노력이 필요할 것으로 사료된다.