Speaker Bio:
Rachael Dorn currently holds a Master's Degree in Dental Hygiene Education and Resarch from Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia and a Bachelor of Science degree in Dental Hygiene with an emphasis in Health Policy and Administration from Pennsylvania College of Technology in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. In 2006, she graduated with her Associate of Applied Science from Allegany College of Maryland in Dental Hygiene. She is the Howard County Dental Hygienists’ Association Immediate Past-President. She is a member of the American Dental Hygienist Association and previous advisor for the student chapter at Howard Community College’s Dental Hygiene Program. Rachael was most recently a faculty member in the dental hygiene program at Howard Community College in Columbia, Maryland. Here, she taught a wide range of courses, including: Dental Anatomy, Head and Neck Anatomy, Dental Hygiene Theory I, III, and IV, Dental Ethics, Local Anesthesia for Dental Hygienists, and Ethics and Jurisprudence for Dental Hygienists. In addition, she previously worked as a registered dental hygienist in Baltimore Maryland for 10 years.
Course Description:
This course on dental ethics explores the ethical dilemmas dental professionals face every day and how they should be responding to them. A review of the ethical theories and philosophies will also be reviewed with attendees. The standard of care for dental hygienists as well as the ADHA professional code of ethics will also be discussed. Attendees will work through real life scenarios and obtain a deeper understanding of how they are responsible and could be affected by the decisions made through their professional licensure.
Course Objectives:
1. Understand what is meant by "ethics"
2. Understand why ethics are important
3. Understand how codes of ethics function
4. Understand the difference between being legal and being ethical
5. Understand obligations to patients
6. Apply the standard of care and code of ethics from the American Dental Hygienist Association
7. Become familiar with elements and principles of ethical decision making
8. Become familiar with three models for ethical decision making
9. Be able to evaluate an ethical dilemma from the perspective of an accepted decision-making model
10. Understand options when confronted with an ethical dilemma