The Factors Affecting Communication Competency of Dental Hygiene Students

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to understand factors affecting on communication competency in dental hygiene students. From September 20 to October 20, 2016, 439 students participated in survey through structured questionnaire. The results showed that mean of communication competency was 3.46±0.41 and mean of communication apprehension was 3.26±0.59, speech apprehension was highest in sub-factors of communication apprehension. The group of intention to receive communication education and the group of interpersonal satisfaction showed high communication competency and self-efficacy, low communication apprehension. But differences of communication competency according to communication education experience was not statistically significant. A negative correlation was found between communication competency and communication apprehension, self-efficacy and communication apprehension. A positive correlation was observed between communication competency and self-efficacy. The higher self-efficacy and the satisfaction with interpersonal relation, the higher communication competency is. In conclusion, to increase communication competency of dental hygiene students it needs efforts to improve self-efficacy and satisfied interpersonal relationship as well as communication skill education. Impact Factor: 1.745 (I2OR)Http://www.ijetmr.com©International Journal of Engineering Technologies and Management Research [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12] College students are at the developmental stage that requires adaptation to a diversity of changes in the psycho-social environment and are in the critical period that requires them to experience close and positive interpersonal relationships with various people around them and establish subjectivity 3 . One of the common capabilities that those studies on the key capabilities for college students suggest is communication competency 4 . It is known that college students with good communication competency adapt themselves to school life well, solve problems rationally on the basis of good problem-solving ability, and use integrated, positive coping methods to manage stress 5 . In particular, dental hygiene students require communication competency to do dental hygiene tasks in clinical practice as well as to form desirable interpersonal relationships as a developmental task in early adulthood 6 . Dental hygienists who need to manage oral health are required to be equipped with an ability to communicate with patients efficiently and properly. They can meet patients with a diversity of needs and take charge of counseling with patients and their caregivers, dental hygiene education, and patient management. In such a situation, they require good communication competency and may win confidence when they treat them in a confident manner.One of the factors that one needs to consider to improve communication competency is communication apprehension. Communication apprehension means anxiety or fear one feels in the process of communication or when one is expected to face communication 7 . Ma...