Dental Hygienist Case Study

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Pages: 6

In this ethical dilemma, there are a few things to consider when determining the legal considerations as a dental hygienist. As a dental hygienist, I cannot self-diagnose my patients. Self-diagnosing your patients is illegal because that is the dentist’s job, our license does not cover that ability. Flirting with Josh K while in the clinic chair or work practice is unprofessional. I as the practicing hygienist, should be focused on the patient and their oral health care. Anything outside of those realms should be dealt with outside of the practice. It is also illegal to share patient information with anyone (HIPAA violation). I should not be talking about John’s personal information with my roommate, and “Poster Presentations” should be verified by a teacher or …show more content…
Considering I made a HIPAA violation, I could get in trouble with the school and potentially could lose my spot as dental hygiene student. Socially, I should have focused on Josh K the patient, and dismissed his flirting in a professional manner until they were outside the dental clinic. Psychologically, maybe Josh K did not understand his overall health concerns I told to him. Maybe we were too busy flirting with each other for him to realize he should have taken what I said into consideration. He also maybe didn’t understand fully what I had in mind for his treatment, and just solely cared on asking me out on a date. As a student hygienist, or even a licensed hygienist, it is important to realize your own values and not let them inappropriately impact your assessment. It is important that I care for Josh K as I would any patient, and not give him special treatment just because he’s interested in me. If people were to walk by and see this happening, they could be making assumptions about who I am as a professional, and as someone practicing in the medical