(PO-191) The Experiences of Dental Hygiene Clinical Instructors on Emotional Intelligence

Author: Marleen Azzam – Assistant Professor, Farmingdale State College
Submitter: Marleen Azzam – Assistant Professor, Farmingdale State College

Teaching in the clinical dental hygiene setting entails not only clinical teaching skills and content expertise but also the consideration of the role that emotions contribute to in the clinical teaching environment. This qualitative phenomenological study aimed to explore the perceptions of dental hygiene clinical faculty towards the use of emotional intelligence in the dental hygiene clinical setting. Furthermore, the researcher sought to identify factors related to the use of emotional intelligence in the clinical educational setting, such as the instructors’ emotional intelligence and students, professionalism, and faculty development programs on emotional intelligence. Fifteen surveys were completed, and eight participants were selected via purposeful sampling. Eight clinical dental hygiene instructors who participated in this study were interviewed using audio-only. Semi-structured interviews were digitally audio-taped and transcribed. The conceptual framework of phenomenology was utilized in this study. Data analysis resulted in five major themes. These themes were understanding, character traits, clinical environment, interaction dynamics, and professional development on emotional intelligence. Recommendations based on the study findings suggest that a professional development program focusing on emotional intelligence may benefit clinical instructors. Being mindful of the various attributes and character traits of emotional intelligence such as self-awareness, social awareness, and relationship management may be deemed valuable during student interactions while teaching in the clinical setting. Keywords: emotional intelligence, clinical education, clinical instructors, clinical dental hygiene